The Dread Wolf
by TaylaNovak
Summary: All of the Enchanted Forest is shaken to the core at the arrival of the Dread Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood gone bad. Kidnapping Regina, Zelena and Cora is only one part of a sinister plan and it's up to the heartless mother and her daughters to stop Ruby before she destroys their world altogether. However, magicless and surrounded by an army of werewolves, the going won't be easy.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness had fallen over the kingdom and the queen looked down from balcony as the torches were lit all over the castle. The smile that usually would come at this time, seeing the slumbering people under her rule, did not this night. The air was heavy with tension and suspense. Then...the torches started to go out.

"It's begun." She said solemnly.

Behind her, the guards were rushing throughout the castle to fortify the doors to keep out the intruders. She rubbed her wrists, feeling her magic start to churn in anticipation. She would defend what was hers to the death. Everyone knew not to piss off the Evil Queen. Few were stupid enough or brave enough to even dare attack her. But they weren't dealing with a typical warlord or greedy kingdom next door. No, they were battling something far worse. Little Red Riding Hood gone bad, with a new meaning to the word red in her name. Little Red and her pretty red cloak was gone. In her place, was the werewolf queen of an army of werewolves and wolves. The Dread Wolf.

"Tell me again why Little Red suddenly wants to conquer the world." Regina said as she stepped back into the throne room.

Snow looked up at her. "I inadvertently got most of her family killed when you sent your man hunters after me." Their two kingdoms were under an uneasy truce for the time being to deal with the threat of Red. The Dread Wolf had already taken over two kingdoms in the span of 2 weeks. An army rode at her heels, large enough to be split in half and still manage to be a force great enough to conquer two castles. Their alliance was merely a necessity. Regina nor Snow had the manpower to hold off Red, but the Queen possessed the necessary fortifications to put up a fight. "She defended me against her mother and we ran back to her town, but your soldiers found us again. She just snapped when they killed her Granny. I haven't seen her since."

"Well then, I say we throw you to the fucking wolves." Regina snapped, pacing the room. "Then she'll go away and leave the world in peace from your idiosy."

"It was **your** men who killed her family." Charming said, standing at the door with their armed guards, prepared to defend against the oncoming threat.

"Snow knew the danger she posed in being friends with anyone. She knew she was being hunted for treason and was still willing to put other people in danger for it. Besides, it all began with her and it'll end with her." Regina replied.

"I was 10 when I told that secret. When are you gonna let it go?" Snow sighed, unsheathing her bow.

"When I rip out your heart and crush it in front of Charming. Just like Mother did to Daniel and me...because of you. Because of a secret being told. 10 or not, you knew what you did was wrong." Regina turned her back to them, steeling herself against the onslaught of emotions at the mention of her lost love.

"Regina...I...I didn't know."

"You didn't need to. Now, if you don't mind, your little friend is gonna be here any second." She turned back to the task at hand, blinking back the hot tears, and went to look out the kingdom. It was dark and silent. "Where are you?" She whispered, scanning the gloom for any sign of wolves, but seeing nothing. Then she heard the horns, coming from all around her. They were accompanied by deep drums and the howls of many, many wolves. "Now we're getting somewhere." She walked back into the room, closing the balcony doors and sealing them and all the windows with magic. "Brace the doors." She commanded to her soldiers. Charming's men remained huddled in the center of the room. A heavy piece of wood was inserted into the slots behind the door, effectively locking it and she sealed it with magic as well.

"Protect the queen at all costs." Said one of her lieutenants. "If she is to fall, we shall fall with her. In the wake of our deaths, the kingdoms will be overrun. Stand your ground."

Regina smirked. The Black Soldiers were incompetent mostly, but their loyalty knew no bounds. She went to her throne, standing in front of it, a fireball forming in her palm. Her men formed around the steps at her feet. Snow and Charming stood at her side. The doors shook and she steeled herself for battle. The doors shook again and she could hear the sounds of panting wolves behind it. The door was splintering by the fourth hit. A crack was in the door and Snow fired, hitting her mark perfectly. There came the sound of surprised whimpering and the arrow was pulled through the door. The archers prepared to fire. The Black Soldiers dropped into a phalanx, their shields raised and their spears and swords ready to tear into the invaders. Then the doors gave, cracking the great beam holding them together. There was a long pause before the doors burst open and the archers fired on instinct...hitting nothing. There was no one behind the door.

"Reload. Quickly." Snow commanded.

A man suddenly rolled into the doorway and fired an arrow, aiming directly at Regina. She caught it easily, but she missed the dart being fired just behind it and flinched when it imbedded itself in her shoulder. Snow killed the archer with an arrow to the throat and he dropped dead.

"Are you alright, my queen?" Asked the lieutenant.

"No, my magic...it's gone." Regina hissed. The dart must have been poisoned, neutralizing her magic. She was powerless. "Damn." She growled as she reached behind her throne and pulled out a black sword with a jeweled hilt. "Guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. Come on out, you filthy dogs."

Growling was the only thing that was heard as several citizens were pushed into the room. Just behind them with knives and claws pressed against the throats of the people, were the werewolves, dressed in furs and leather and war paint, looking every bit the savages they were. Regina noticed an odd sophistication at play as well. These were werewolves, only part wolf. The other part was very human, and very intelligent. They kept the terrified citizens in front of them, ducking down behind them so they couldn't be shot. There were at least 20 of them and they lined up in two rows, one behind the other, all of them growling like beasts.

"Where's Red?" Snow demanded.

"That's not my name." Light footsteps were heard as the Dread Wolf herself stepped through the throne room doors. Red smiled, still as stunningly beautiful as always with eyes that glowed gold. She wore a fitted black bodice with one sleeve made of a thin mesh and the other a long cape of black swan feathers. Tight black pants encased long, smooth legs and long black boots covered her feet. Several pieces of jewelry, from small runestones to rocks and feathers to a ruby necklace, hung from her frame. The symbol of the moon was visible on the side of her neck. She looked savage, yet at the same time, she was beautiful. Regina could see the animal like twinkle in her eye and took a careful step back. "My name is Ruby. Little Red...is dead." Ruby walked forward, lazily, with an arrogant swagger and predator-like grace. "I did not come here to fight, believe it or not. I came to talk and to make you an offer." She paused, smirking up at the Royals. "You see, my army is within your halls. They've already secured the innocent men and women and children. Should I give the signal, all of them will be slaughtered. I require only one thing to release them."

"What do you want?" Regina demanded.

Ruby made a tsk tsk sound. "So impatient. I'm sure you have nowhere to be at the moment. Take a seat, and relax. I'm only getting started."

Regina exchanged looks with Charming. She obeyed at sitting on her throne, but her soldiers didn't drop their weapons. At the moment, the Dread Wolf held all the cards and they were at a distinct disadvantage. Snow and Charming weren't going to budge with innocents in a decision had to be made, Regina was going to be the one to make it. Ruby held the cards, but as the queen, she held power. Now, she needed to decided whether to use it. She could order her men to attack. The innocents would die, but if they could get to Ruby and kill her before she gave the signal, the rest would be spared. But for how long, she didn't know. "What is it you want?" She asked again in her usual regal tone.

Ruby made a swiping motion with her finger and one of the wolves cut down the citizens, slicing their throat in a single, practiced motion. "Just so you know I was serious."

"You didn't have to do that!" Snow yelled.

"I don't believe I was talking to you, Princess." Ruby growled, raising her hand again.

"Shut up." Regina hissed to her step daughter. "Say nothing and don't move." She glared the woman into submission before turning back to the wolf. "Please continue, Dread Wolf."

Ruby smiled and lowered her hand. "That's more like it. Now, you've seen my work, capturing kingdoms, slaughtering warlords and their armies, etc. etc. Pretty much conquering nearly half of the Enchanted Forest. A pretty sizable territory for my pack. That's all well and good, but I'm thinking of a much bigger picture." She started pacing slowly as she spoke, demonstrating with her hands as she did so. "I have a much more intricate plan to achieve a greater desire, and I need...a little help. Your majesty, if you will, please come forward. There is but two little things you must do and I will spare this entire kingdom. If not...I will destroy it."

There really was no choice in that suggestion. Regina boldly stepped forward and her lieutenant barred her way, glaring at Ruby. She was about to order him to stand aside, but the werewolf that had killed his citizen bargaining chip, launched his neck, hitting the lieutenant in the neck, right in the tiny chink where his helmet met his breastplate. A precision shot. The lieutenant crumpled to the ground. She paused, sighing at the waste of a life, but continued on when Ruby tapped her foot impatiently. The phalanx closed behind her. "You called."

"Indeed, I did." Ruby circled her, like an animal zeroing on its prey. But the queen held firm, keeping her composure under the predatory gaze.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because." Ruby stopped in front of her, speaking softly. "Someone once told me that the wolf is a part of me. In order to control it, I had to accept myself for what I was. I have. My wolf and I are one. I wanted to be both." she nodded to Snow. "Princess over there, reminded me that I don't have that luxury."

"You do. Everyone has a choice." Regina said.

"Did you choose to become the Evil Queen? Did you wake up one morning and decide I'm gonna be an evil bitch and marry an old bastard, assassinate him and steal his kingdom? No, you didn't. Evil has to be crafted, forged, made. What made you evil? What put darkness in your heart? It was never always there, was it?"

"No." Regina answered softly.

"I didn't think so." Ruby growled. "I won't ask what happened. I know that can be hard to even think about. So, I'll give you this." She held up her hand and the wolf brought her a pair of shackles. "Allow me."

"No, what is this for? I'm powerless. I don't need to be shackled."

"You have no magic but I'm not stupid enough to think you can't fight, my dear. Please don't insult my intelligence in such a way." came the fierce snarl that made her shudder. She held up her wrists and Ruby put on the shackles.

"And now? You're going to kill me?" Regina asked.

Ruby looked confused. "Why the hell would I do that? Believe me, your life is far more precious than these common peasants." She glanced up at the others. "Tell them to drop their weapons."

"Promise you won't hurt the people. Say you'll let them go."

Ruby tilted her head, making another gesture. Another citizen of the kingdom was killed as her neck was snapped. Another was dragged into the middle of the room by two of the werewolves and ripped in half. Even Regina gasped at such brutality.

"Drop them! Drop your weapons, now. Stop it, Ruby. Stop. Just...stop." Ruby turned Regina's head away from the carnage, focusing back on her. "Enough already."

"What happened to the cold heart? To the Evil Queen?" Ruby asked.

"She wants to know what kind of monster she's talking to." Regina hissed. "What kind of beast am I looking at? There has always been a reason for the things I do. This is not needed. You have me. Let them go."

"They are irrelevant. Do you realize that when our legends will be told, you will only and always be the Evil Queen? The Life Ruiner. The cold hearted queen. Why waste your energy caring about those beneath you. 10 years from now, no one will know them, won't even remember them. 20 years, they'll be nothing. But you...are far more precious. You hold more meaning than they do. Whether they live or die changes nothing. This night will end the same."

"Then what is your demand, you bitch?" Regina snapped. The wolves started chuckling and Ruby rolled her eyes. "What's so funny?"

One of the wolves closest to them turned his head. "It is funny, because she really is a bitch." The others started laughing again.

"All of you shut up. Gods, you're so unprofessional!" Ruby whined. "Idiots, the lot of you." Regina tilted her head, watching Snow slowly draw an arrow and nock it. She was being discreet as she slowly pulled back the string. Ruby was standing in front of Regina with her back to the others. The princess suddenly fired. Ruby simply leaned to the side and Regina nearly missed catching the arrow. It stopped an inch from her face and Ruby chuckled. "Impressive. Where did you learn that?"

"Magic." Regina glared at Snow.

"Neat. But back to what I wanted." Ruby continued, completely dismissing the fact that Snow had just tried to shoot her. "I want a kiss."

"What?"

"I didn't stutter."

"I don't kiss dogs."

"You don't really have a choice." Ruby whispered in her ear, before leaning back with a smug grin. "Kiss me and the kingdom will be spared."

Regina curled her lip. "Fine. A kiss for a kingdom."

"A kiss for a kingdom." Ruby repeated. She smiled as she leaned forward and kissed Regina's lips. Regina wanted to feel repulsed, and she was, but Ruby was a damn good kisser. Ruby cupped her cheek, leaning back to look her in the eye. The wolf's were twinkling and were no longer gold but a stunning bright blue. "I've always wanted a pet queen." She looked at her wolves. "Take her." A sack was thrown over Regina's head and she was grabbed by two of the wolves, and hoisted onto their shoulders as though she weighed nothing. She struggled, but she was no match for them. She heard screaming and fighting and the sound of glass shattering. She was carried for a while, unable to tell how long or where she was going. Finally she was placed on solid ground and the bag on her head was removed. They were in the forest, surround on all sides by tall, gnarly trees.

"Is that it?" Ruby was speaking with one of the numerous wolves under her command. They were everywhere. There were the smaller, regular wolves that she knew. The werewolves in their beast form were far larger, perhaps bigger than a horse. The air was alive with their growls and snarls as they moved back and forth like a sea of fur and claws as far as she could see. They parted for Ruby as she walked to Regina and took her wrist.

"Where the hell are you taking me?" Regina hissed.

"To camp. I would imagine you want to bathe, change, rest up." Ruby said, mounting a great red stallion. She pulled up Regina in front of her.

"This is not a social call. You kidnapped me. I will make you pay."

"Ha ha ha." Said the wolf mockingly. "How are you gonna do that with no magic and no hands? And besides, I have a friend you should meet. I'm sure the two of you will have lots to talk about." The rest of the wolves melted into the forest at a signal from Ruby, as though they were never there at all. Ruby's pack was incredibly organized and efficient. Despite how well a commander she may've been, Regina was ready to snap her neck. If only she could get the damn cuffs off. "I'm not going to hurt you, Regina." Ruby said after a few minutes of riding. "I would like your cooperation."

"You attack my castle, kill my guards and kidnap me. And now you want me to cooperate with you?! You're out of your fucking mind." Regina rolled her eyes.

"That may be, my pet, but who is the one shackled? I'm twice as strong as you will ever be. I could **make** you do whatever I desired, but I won't. Believe it or not, I care about you. Just like I care about your new friend you're about to meet."

"As if." Regina scoffed. "And what friend?"

"She's actually more than a friend. But you'll see soon enough. There are more components I need to obtain before we can begin my master plan." She chuckled to herself. "But I had to grab you now before you disappeared on me. You really must have been desperate to forge an alliance with Princess."

"I had no choice because of you. People were rioting and I didn't have to subdue them. Snow's people brought peace."

"And how long would this have lasted? With your temper and the Princess' sickening desire to be everyone's friend?"

"Not long I suppose." Regina sighed.

"They survived." Ruby said. "Jumped out the window."

"Wonderful." came the happy reply, full of sarcasm. Ruby chuckled. "When will the poison wear off so I can get my magic back?"

"So you can escape from my clutches, my pet?" Ruby cooed. "Oh no, we can't have that. A wolf always needs a pet queen."

Regina gulped at the gentle purr. "What happened to you? I watched Snow and you. You were friends."

" **Were** is the most important word in that sentence. She brought Black Soldiers right into my mother's den. They slaughtered half the pack before we took them down. My mother and my friend, Quinn, both perished. I blamed you. Snow said that was it. No more soldiers. We were going to run away and hide. But more soldiers came and attacked my village….burned it to the ground. My Granny shot 30 of the bastards before they killed her. She was a tough old woman."

Regina frowned. "I never gave the orders to attack a village."

"Well your friends got the wrong message."

"Then why aren't you mad at me? Why hate Snow?"

"The Princess did something else that doesn't concern you. And I **am** mad at you, but I need you."

"For what?"

"Something special." came the cryptic answer. "Behold, my pet, the Dread Wolf's camp." They came upon a rise and Ruby pulled the stallion to a halt at the top of it. Regina gasped at the sight of the large sprawling camp below, as far as the eye could see. Most of them were tents with humans and wolves walking among them. She could see several blacksmiths and cooking stations and pit fires. Some of the wolves were sparring and fighting. One tent however, was far larger than the rest. Bright red in a sea of brown and black. "Lovely, isn't it? We haven't found a castle to our liking yet, but soon we'll need to find one. Winter is coming." Ruby spurred the horse forward down into the camp. Regina squirmed when the people and wolves looked up at them as they passed. "Relax. They won't harm you. Not if they want to live."

"That's very reassuring."

Ruby chuckled deeply behind her. They stopped in front of the large red tent. A gray tent was next to it, smaller than the red one, but bigger than the others. Ruby dismounted and helped Regina down. A small red fox trotted up to them before shifting into a woman, about 19 years of age by the looks of it. She was slender and graceful with long red hair, wearing a leather bodice and a long brown skirt. "How is she, Fee?"

"Complaining as usual, my lady. But nothing I can't handle."

"Excellent. Please, show her majesty where she can bathe and find her something suitable to wear. How many came in today?"

"Only one pack. 23 wolves."

"That's it?" Ruby sighed. "We're preparing fast enough. Let loose the horns. I want every werewolf within this region to hear our call."

"What are you amassing for?" Regina asked.

Ruby ignored her. Not surprisingly. "Once the ladies are done, bring them to my tent and make sure my scouting party is ready for tomorrow. I want to be out bright and early so I can get back for the Northern clans arrive."

"As you wish." The fox held out her hand and Regina reluctantly took it. She briefly wondered if she could overpower the small girl, but the firm grip on her hand dismissed that idea. Besides, she was still shackled and literally in the middle of a camp of hundreds of werewolves. She would be caught before she made two steps. First she needed to stay alive, then maybe find out just what the hell Ruby was up to. Fee lead her to a tent where there a hot springs inside, unshackled Regina and left to retrieve her clothes. Regina quickly scrubbed herself clean. For now she would play along with Ruby's little game, but if she saw an opportunity, she was going to take it. Fee returned with a long sleeveless red dress which Regina changed into.

"Care to explain what the hell's going on?" Regina asked as she lead back to the tent next to Ruby's.

"Nope. The Dread Wolf will explain all in good time. I will return momentarily after the horns are sounded." She motioned for Regina to enter the tent and walked off to do Ruby's bidding. Two burly men took up position outside the entrance. The interior of the tent was beautiful, decorated in multiple furs with three cots on raised platforms. There were braziers placed all around the room with a small desk off to the side and a table in the center. There was a woman pacing the room. She was pretty with wavy red hair and stunning blue eyes, dressed in a green dress of similar make to Regina's own.

"She found you." The redhead said.

"Who are you?" Regina asked.

"My name is Zelena."

"Do we know each other?"

"You don't know me, but I know you. I'm Cora's other daughter. Her first born."

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Ruby had changed into a long sleeved white shirt and brown leather pants with a long black coat over it that she usually reserved for nights in. She was seated on her grand fur covered throne, built out of bone and black stone singed by dragon fire. Her tent was extravagantly decorated with carpets and a long table covered in an endless supply of food. She was oiling her Granny's treasured crossbow, a task that Granny would never be able to complete again, but always managed to put Ruby at ease. So much had changed in the span less than a year. She had gone from a young woman just trying to figure out who and she was to a werewolf commanding an army of her kind. She placed the crossbow to the side and sighed, running a hand through her hair and glanced up as Regina and Zelena entered. The daughters of the heartless heart ripper. Cora's legacy to the world. Evil and Wicked. She had been surprised to find out that Zelena had known about Cora and Regina. She hadn't been easy to capture at all. It hadn't taken a day long siege on the Emerald City to catch the Wicked Witch. The woman was powerful. Even more so than Regina, and still a great mystery. She put on a bunch of bravado about hating Regina and Cora, but there was something off her that Ruby couldn't quite name.

"Are you gonna tell us why we're here now?" Regina demanded.

"Nope." Ruby stood up and walked forward, gesturing to the table piled high with food. "I wanted you to eat, make sure you're staying healthy and strong. I will you tell you my plans soon, but-"

"There are three cots in our tent." Regina interrupted. "Who is the third one for?"

"Why, the Queen of Hearts herself." Ruby smirked. "I assume you know already that you're sisters? One is the Wicked Witch of the West, the other is the Evil Queen. Cora fucked up both of your lives. Big happy family." She laughed as she plucked a handful of grapes off the table and popped one into her mouth. "I'll you guys some wine, we can relax."

"What are you plotting?" Zelena asked.

"Red or white?" Ruby asked, ignoring her question. "Red, of course."

The witch let out a frustrated groan and turned to eating, but Regina was not so persuaded. She would rather starve than touch that food. Something was keeping Zelena's magic at bay or she would've escaped by now, and it was probably in the food.

"Eat, Regina. It's not poisoned. That's more your style, isn't it?" Ruby handed them a goblet of wine and returned to eating her grapes. "How have you been treated in my absence, your wickedness?"

Zelena looked up from inspecting a piece of meat with a disgusted face. "Well...I was kidnapped from my castle, poisoned with a stupid dart and held against my will in a werewolf camp for the last 3 days. I am just peaches and cream, dear."

"And Regina? I trust Fee treated you well."

"Well enough. Ruby just tell us why we're here. What's going on? Please."

Ruby smirked. They were so cute when they were frustrated. "I can't tell you yet, my pet. Once Cora gets here, I'll have to explain everything all over again." She smiled at seeing the gears tick away in their heads, trying to come up with a reason for her gathering them all together. "All in due time. Don't worry yourselves. However, if you require any entertainment, please do ask."

"Dread Queen." Fee peeked into the tent. "Lord Marcus is here with his pack and he's not happy."

"I did not call for Lord Marcus." Ruby sighed. "Send him in." She returned to her throne and motioned for Regina and Zelena to go to the other side of the table, out of the way of danger. They obeyed, crouching slightly in anticipation for what was to come next.

Marcus was a large, broad shouldered man. He stood at least a foot taller than the Dread Wolf with a shaved head and war paint all over his bare chest. A simple loincloth and boots was all he wore for clothing. He stormed into her pavilion and glared at her. "Why have we been turned away? You called our people. Every other pack has been let into camp but my own."

"Your pack may enter, but not you." Ruby replied smugly. "Simple."

"I am their fucking alpha."

"Congratulations on your part."

"Why-"

"Because I don't like sheep!" Ruby roared, leaning forward. "I don't like wolves with the hearts of sheep. In the last battle, your pack fought valiantly. You ordered them to retreat. Sheep hearted fool. I don't like cowards and I don't like you. Now leave my sight and be sure to never enter it again."

"And just how are you the leader of us? Who put you in charge?"

"I put myself in charge because the humans treated us like animals. Like mindless beasts that were beneath them, inferior to them. I decided to prove them wrong. We wolves are forces to be reckoned with. But you would rather hide out in a cave, hiding your existence than fighting for your people. I am sick of hiding. I am sick of humans. That is why change is coming. But I am the only one who knows how to bring about this change."

"Attacking random kingdoms will only bring armies down on our heads." Marcus replied.

Ruby rose to her feet, stepped slowly down off of her pedestal. "Everything that has been done has served a purpose. You are too stupid to see it. Now leave, Marcus, and let the real wolves solve our little dilemma."

"I deserve to be among our people." He growled.

"You will deserve death if you defy my orders one more fucking time." Ruby growled back. She glared the larger man down until he backed away. "Follow him to the border." She ordered one of the guards. "Sorry you had to hear that, ladies. I do try to stay civil but as you can see, I am dealing with morons. Please, enjoy your meal and tell Fee when you are ready to go back to your tent for the night. If you will excuse me." Ruby turned to leave, growling under her breath.

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Regina returned to their tent with Zelena. "What is she up to? Do you have any idea?"

Zelena wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to her. They listen. She needs our magic. She's looking for something powerful.

Looking for what? Regina wrote back.

I don't know. Biding our time is the best chance we have.

I agree. Once she finds Mother, we'll have our answer.

And if the answer means our deaths? What if it's something we don't want to hear?

People are dying. Whole kingdoms are crumbling. Soon, what will be able to stand against her?

Us. Once we get our magic.

How she is neutralizing it?

I don't know. The food is fine. The drinks don't do anything. I honestly can't tell you what happens after the first injection with that stupid fucking dart.

I suppose we just have to wait now.

I suppose so.

It's weird, knowing I have a sister.

I hated you. I thought you stole the life I was supposed to have. But now I know what happened. You can keep your life.

Thanks. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Good night, Regina." Zelena said with a snicker as she flopped on her bed.

"Good night, Zelena." Regina tore up the piece of the paper and tossed it into the fire. Sleep came easier than she thought it would. The whole ordeal of dealing with Snow and Charming for the past week preparing a battle plan and being kidnapped by a psychopathic werewolf had really taken its toll on her. The next morning she was awoken by the sounds of thundering hooves as Ruby lead her scouting party off to procure her next victim. The Queen of Hearts.

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Read and review please. Thoughts and suggestions are always appreciated. I get a lot of ideas at random times and I really liked this one for some reason. I know I have to update my other stories but I really had to put this one out there. So yeah. R/R! Sorry for any mistakes.


	2. Chapter 2

In Ruby's absence Regina and Zelena were allowed to leave their tents. However, their little fox caretaker was always with them. Among the many wolf warriors at the camp, they found blacksmiths and archers and tailors and children. It was like one massive wolf den. As intriguing as this little society was, thoughts of escape were heavily on her mind. She still had no idea how the wolves were neutralizing her magic and her attempts to get information from the little fox were ineffective. She kept her eyes open for Ruby's betas, her second in commands, in hopes of using them for an escape, but she couldn't figure out who was who and she still had no plan. She and Zelena usually refrained from speaking until they were alone in their tent and able to write down their conversations rather than say them out loud. She learned more about her sister every night, learned more about her tragic past. The poor thing never stood a chance. Abandoned by Cora, being adopted by a kind woman who died soon after and a man who beat her day and night and had her brainwashed into thinking she was wicked because of her magic. Once she found out who she was, she was rejected by Rumpelstiltskin and then ignored by the group of witches who promised her the world in favor of some random little girl. Regina's story was just as dark and complex as hers, but Zelena hardly seemed to care about anything other than trying to figure out how the wolves were suppressing their magic.

3 days after Ruby's departure, Fee, their fox companion, woke them up bright and early, bid them to bathe and returned as they finished to take them for a little ride. Their wrists were shackled and they climbed into a beautiful black carriage and was spirited away.

"Where are we going?" Zelena demanded, looking at Fee.

"The Dread Wolf wants you to meet her at a special place." Fee answered.

"Did she capture our mother?" Regina inquired.

"Yes, she is probably being moved to your tent as we speak."

Regina sighed and turned her head to the window, watching the forest pass by, trying to discern if she recognized any landmarks.

"What's a fox doing among werewolves?" She heard her sister ask. She turned her head when it took Fee too long to reply. The girl had turned herself back into a fox and curled herself into a little ball, trembling. "It's okay." Zelena said softly. "I'm sorry, I don't possess a lot of tact." Fee remained where she was. It took her awhile to change back into a human, but when she did she still refused to answer Zelena's question.

An hour later they arrived at their destination. It was a cave. A simple cave. Ruby was standing outside it in a blood red skirt that had slits on both side up to her thighs and a matching sleeveless top that left part of her toned midriff bare. She removed their shackles and commanded Fee to stay with the carriage.

"Why are we here?" Regina demanded, looking around at the thick forest around them. "In the middle of nowhere."

"It's not nowhere." Ruby answered. She motioned for them to follow and the sisters exchanged glances before making their way into the cave after the werewolf commander. Regina looked around, seeing that the walls had been decorated and painted. The upper walls were painted with what might've been brushes and a skilled hand. The lower half had crude drawings and markings, as though made by a child. She narrowed her eyes a little seeing claw marks scar the stone and blood streak through some of the designs on the wall. There were some braziers lit in the main chamber, really the only chamber since the place was so small but the remnants of people still remained: cooking utensils, pots, broken cots, shattered tables, shredded photos and a small fire pit. Someone used to live here. This used to be a home.

"What happened here?" Zelena asked.

"A massacre." Ruby replied, looking around. "Did Snow tell you what happened in my village?"

"Bits and pieces." Regina answered. "My soldiers found her, attacked her and whoever she was with. You lost your mother-"

"No, I lost my mother because she tracked me." Ruby interrupted. "Because she lead them straight to our den. I killed my mother, protecting her, because I thought it was right, but I wish I hadn't. I wish I could take it back." She sighed. "I didn't know what I was. Granny made me wear that...that stupid cloak every second of every day because she knew. Snow had me convinced that it was Peter, my love, that he was the wolf that was terrorizing the village. So we...chained him to a tree." She chuckled sadly and sat down in one of the few chairs still standing. Regina watched the many emotions swirl through the werewolf's eyes and she recognized a lot of them. Had felt a lot of them. "I killed him." Ruby said softly. "And the town turned on me like I was an animal. Like I had not lived there my entire life. Like I had not helped in his fields, or helped the healer gather herbs or Lady Taylor with her cattle. They attacked and I...barely escaped with my life. Granny didn't." She looked around again. "There was nothing left of my mother's pack hardly. Just a couple young wolves who didn't know what to do. I couldn't go back there. Beaten, broken and bruised, I found myself here. A family lived here. Of werewolves. A father, a mother, and their two sons. They healed me and helped me, kindest people you could ever meet."

"They died?" Zelena asked softly.

Ruby shook her head and stood up. "No, they were murdered." She left the cave, motioning for them to follow and they did, walking along a small path that was now overgrown with vegetation. A small clearing came into view, showered in sunlight. Four graves were also visible, the small towers of stones that marked them were the only ones of their kind amidst a sea of wildflowers. "There was a village here." Ruby said, pausing to look around. "A big one, a nice one. At least I thought it was at first. I was off one day, hunting, trying to get back into shape, speed up the recovery process. When I returned, the werewolf family was dead. Beheaded and skinned. The men of this village were celebrating. Celebrating that they had murdered an innocent family, who couldn't even live in the village, who hunted miles away so as not to disturb the people, who were in full control of their wolves, who had children." Ruby met Regina's eyes, confusion evident in her brown orbs, as if she could not understand how a person could do such a thing. "I walked into this village and killed every man wearing a wolf skin. Every person that raised a hand against me, I killed. I burned their village to the ground, killed their cattle, destroyed their crops. I forced them, all of them, men, women, children...to dig these graves. I forced them to build these headstones. My friends, I brought their bodies, their heads, their skins, and buried each of them the way they deserved. Those who remained of the village, I sent away. Luckily, Ana, the werewolf mother, was also a witch. I found one of her potions and used it to create this eden. It changed the landscape and protects this place from the people who onced lived here and any more who want to." Ruby sighed and looked down at the graves. "This is where it began for me. This is what really taught me the cruelty of man. I know that there are good humans in the world and good werewolves. I know there are beasts on both sides, but I realized that it is not really us that treats us this way. It's just humans. For so long, I wondered why. Most werewolves don't bother trying to live in a village and when they're living together, they fought and squabbled over the littlest things, because they have never had lots of things." She turned around. "Does that make sense?" Regina nodded. "I wondered why we live in scattered packs when if we gathered together, we could really build a home for ourselves and we would not be alone. No wolf is meant to be alone. And together, no wolf cub would ever grow up like I did: afraid and confused and out of control. We would teach each other our strengths, protect our weaknesses, be a real family."

"That's why you gathered all of the werewolves in the Enchanted Forest?" Regina frowned. Ruby nodded. "Okay, I understand that, but I don't understand why you attacked our kingdoms, why you captured us."

"I attacked your kingdoms because I could." Ruby answered. "Because I wanted to show my people and the entire world that just because we are children of the moon, it does not make us animals. Every attack was precise, tactical and we never killed, only took what we needed and moved on. Except that person we ripped in half..."

"You do realize that that is only making people fear and distrust you even more."

Ruby chuckled as she stepped closer to Regina. "They will fear and distrust us either way."

Regina shook her head. "I don't understand. You don't want to conquer the world, but you don't believe that you can live here. What exactly are you trying to do, Ruby? Why are we here?"

"Power." Ruby answered. "I need your power. But I'll explain everything later when your mother is with us."

"So, what's next?" Zelena asked. "Now that you have all three of us."

"Next…" Ruby smirked. "I finish gathering my people and we prepare for the winter. You go back to your tents, have your heart to hearts with Mommy and then...I'll tell you whatever you want to know." She took the lead back to the carriage and stood at the door, offering her hand to help the sisters inside. Regina accepted it and took her seat, silently wondering just what Little Red had planned for them. She was a bit surprised when Ruby joined them in the carriage for the ride back.

"Regina."

"Yes?"

The wolf looked up at her. "Is the fort up in the mountains still there?"

"Why do you need a fort?" Regina asked.

Ruby ignored her question. "The largest one was Fort Chambers, yeah? In the eastern mountains."

"Yes." Regina shrugged. "That's where you're going to hold up for winter?"

"I have to check it out first, but maybe." She shrugged. "Possibilities are everywhere."

Regina scoffed and turned back to the window. She didn't understand this woman at all. Ruby had lost everything and turned from a homeless, lost little wolf into a werewolf warlord with an army that was pretty much unstoppable. She seemed to be torn between conquering and taking over this entire world and building a home for her people. She wondered which one she would choose.

When they arrived back at the camp, they were met with a celebration. Even Ruby looked confused. A baby wolf walked up to her and bounced around until she picked him up. "What the hell is going on?"

"Everyone's here now, Dread Wolf." The pup said happily.

"Even the ones from Oz? Already?"

"Yes ma'am."

Ruby smiled and placed the pup on the ground. "Then we do indeed need to celebrate."

Regina and Zelena were pushed back into their tents where they found that their latest acquisition was waiting. Cora Mills looked shocked when her daughters walked in together, but neither paid her any mind. Regina went right to the stack of paper on the desk and grabbed a pencil, taking it over to Zelena's cot. **Tonight. We have to escape tonight.**

Zelena shook her head and wrote something else. _She always has people watching. Always. It's useless until we figure out why she needs us._

 **She doesn't seem to want to kill us.**

 _Could be a ruse. Lure us into a false sense of security._

 **We have no magic. What would be the point?**

Zelena shrugged. _Maybe she wants us to identify with her? See werewolves for what they are, maybe even join her._

 **Why would we join her?** Regina frowned at the idea.

 _Why wouldn't we? What do we have at home? You might have family, but I have nothing and no one. Never have._ Zelena pushed away the pencil with a sigh and Regina tilted her head, watching her older sister curl up away from her. She went back to her cot and sat down.

"Regina, what's going on?" Cora demanded. "Where are we-"

"Go to hell." Regina growled, turning her back to her mother and laying down. Outside she could hear a lot of commotion and it wasn't until an hour had passed did she hear the sounds of music and merrymaking. That's when the curtains opened and Ruby stepped in.

"You guys want to come to the party?"

Zelena and Regina exchanged looks before agreeing. Fee stepped in with more dresses and escorted them to where they could wash up if they desired. Cora followed, trying to talk to her children, but Regina was beyond done with her mother. She wanted to strangle her for what she did to Daniel, but to prevent that and potentially angering Ruby, she simply ignored her mother and watched the festivities. It was a sight to see. Watching all of the children dance to the music and the adults eat and drink and laugh like everyone was a part of one big family. Regina could see why it appealed to her sister. But this was not just an ordinary family one could walk into. These people were werewolves, and she was sure a good portion of them hated humans. Ruby was looking for a powerful weapon, but what weapon could that be? And why would she need a weapon when she had an army?

"Regina." Cora grabbed her wrist and made her turn around. "Now is the perfect time to get away."

"She has guards." Regina wrenched her arm free. "And I would rather die than go anywhere with you."

Cora sighed. "You're still angry."

"You expect me to welcome you with open arms after everything you've done to me?!" Regina demanded, rounding on her mother in her rage. "You broke me. You destroyed me. I've lost everyone I cared about because of you. You need to get away from me and stay away."

"So you're going to sit here and do whatever she wants? We could be planning an escape."

"Go ahead." Regina scoffed. "Escape. Have fun. Leave me out of it." She stormed off, finding her sister in Ruby's tent, eating. Ruby was once again on her throne, watching the entertainment with quite an interest. It was a woman, singing for her. A beautiful woman with dark chocolate hair that fell to her thighs and piercing blue eyes. She was wearing a long red dress with too many slits and cut outs for it to appeal to Regina, but it clearly appealed to their werewolf commander. Regina took a seat next to Zelena, who was busy talking to the werewolf next to her. She nudged her sister and tipped her head to the singer. "Who's that?"

Zelena turned to look. "Raksha."

"She's Ruby's lover?"

"From what I've gathered, no. She's a general, a strategist. I think Ruby might have a crush though."

"Looks like it." The werewolf was almost in a trance, and Raksha seemed pleased of the effect she was having on her commander. At this moment Ruby seemed less like the Dread Wolf and more like Little Red. There was a commotion outside and a massive wolf walked in, dragging a dwarf in his jaws. He dropped him at Ruby's feet and the she-wolf scowled when Raksha stopped singing, turning to see what the hell was going on.

"What is this?" Ruby snarled. She looked down at the dwarf. "Who are you?" The terrified dwarf looked up into Ruby's eyes and her scowl got deeper. "If you piss your pants in my tent, I will part your cock from your body, understand?" The dwarf quickly nodded and slowly got to his feet. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I come on behalf of Queen Snow and King David-"

"Queen?" Ruby laughed. "King?" The other werewolves burst out laughing at hearing this. "Tell me," Ruby smiled. "What does the little bitch and her pet farmer want? For me to release her stepmother?"

"Y-yes." The dwarf said, shaking in his boots. "And for you to surrender." That only made the wolves howl with laughter.

"How many?" Ruby asked the wolf that had brought in their messenger.

"I could guess at least 14,000 troops, not a true warrior among them. Trees provided cover. Maybe more. They looked like the bitch's usual rabble: former farmers and fools who picked up weapons because she asked them to."

Ruby slowly nodded and looked down at the dwarf. "You want me to surrender. When you walked in here, how many werewolves did you see? Can you see take a guess?"

"Um...more than 14,000?"

Ruby smiled. "Exactly. Much more than that, and every single one is twice as fast as a single one of her soldiers, twice as strong, twice as durable, twice as good. You tell Snow that I will not risk the lives of my people to once again teach her her place. If Regina wishes to go…" She paused to look at the ebony haired queen. "She may go. We'll meet you at the river to the north. I want to have a few words with Snow." She nodded to the wolf and he picked the dwarf up as though he weighed nothing and dragged him out again. "Party's over. Spread the word that I want the camp packed up within the hour." Ruby commanded, the rest of her followers leaping into action.

"You're letting me go?" Regina asked. "You attacked my kingdom, slaughtered my soldiers, and now you're letting me go?"

Ruby paused and looked at her. "Did you know the names of those soldiers? Every single one?" Regina slowly shook her head. "That's because they meant nothing to you. But you meant everything to them. They stood by you in darkness and died to protect you and you cannot even tell me their names, who they were? If you desire to leave with your stepdaughter, you may. You should go pack your things."

"And me?" Cora demanded.

"You're not going anywhere, Heart-Ripper." Ruby smirked. "You are a prisoner, your daughters are simply my guests. Guards?" A pair of werewolves quickly stormed in and carried Cora away.

"And...me?" Zelena asked, standing up.

"The true is, my dears, I needed your magic. That's why I took you. Unfortunately, you would've died if I had continued with my original plans, but I've come to the conclusion that your mother may be all that I need. Of course she will die, but...who cares. Zelena, if you wish, you may leave as well." Ruby dipped her head and left, Raksha falling to her side. Once they were away from the humans, Raksha touched her commander's arm.

"You're not really letting them leave, are you?"

"Of course not." Ruby scoffed. "But if I am right, they won't want to leave. After all, they have nothing and no one. Zelena could truly help us. She won't buy into that faith and goodness crap. She's too powerful to simply let go. As is Regina, but I'm not sure about her. Prepare a force to march on Camelot and secure Merlin and Excalibur. Send 20,000 archers with me when we go to make the exchange and make sure they are not seen. I want them in range immediately. Chain up Cora, she didn't always rely on magic and she's a crafty bitch. Put a dozen wolves on guard duty."

"Will that be all, Dread Wolf?" Raksha asked, smirking.

"Get everyone else to our new den as quickly as possible."

"Yes ma'am."

Ruby watched her leave before noticing that Fee had come with her. "It's all coming together, Fee."

"Everything is possible with the Dread Wolf."

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	3. Chapter 3

"You're not leaving?" Regina asked incredulously, following Zelena into their tent.

"No." Zelena said simply.

"Why not?"

"Where would I go?!" Zelena snapped, spinning around. "My mother is dead, my father is probably dead, I am the most hated person in my world. I have nothing." Her sister sighed. "And no one. At least with Ruby, I might be able to form some kind of life worth living."

"You can't be serious. Ruby is called the Dread Wolf for a reason-"

"And you're the Evil Queen. I'm the Wicked Witch." Zelena shrugged. "You're practically in the same position I'm in. Why are you trying so hard to get back to the kingdom that would hang you as soon as look at you?"

"Because, Ruby is obviously planning something huge. Something terrible. The amount of power she's gathering can't be for anything good."

Zelena shrugged. "It's better than any future I would have alone."

"Maybe you don't have to be alone anymore." Regina said. "We know about each other now-"

"No offense, Regina, but I don't need a sister. I want a life. One worth living." Zelena turned back to packing what meager belongings she had. Once she was finished, she stormed back out and left Regina alone. She sat down on her cot and silently pondered what to do. Honestly, Ruby and Zelena was right. She didn't have anything back home. Her father was dead, Daniel was dead, she hated her stepdaughter and stepson, her soldiers were massacred and even her horse was dead. There was nothing there for her. Among the werewolves she might be able to find a new life, new friends, be a family for once. But she didn't trust Ruby. Not until she found out what the Dread Wolf was up to. Perhaps she could play along...for now. She didn't have much to pack, just the undergarments and a couple dresses that had been given to her by Ruby. She headed outside once she was done and found most of the camp already gone. She walked over to Zelena and Ruby.

"I don't know exactly how much help I would be, but I'd like to join you." Zelena said.

Ruby's eyes went wide, her eyebrows almost touching her hairline. "Zelena, do you know who you fucking are?" She scoffed. "Your father really did a number on you, because if he hadn't you would know how awesome you are, how much of an asset you would be to my army."

"I'm not…" Zelena shook her head.

"You're incredible." Ruby said. "You overthrew an entire fucking government when you were just 18 and ruled that government for years. I've seen all your designs and formulas, you're a magical genius, Zelena. Don't you see that?" Zelena was turning red, but she shook her head again. Ruby raised her hand before she could speak. "I saw your plans for a school. A university, right? For magic. What if I can help you make that happen? Together, we can build that university so no one has to grow up in fear of something that makes them unique and wonderful. Magic is dangerous, but it's beautiful, just like you are. You can start right here. You can train some werewolves to be spellcasters, and not just offensive spells, but healing magic as well."

"You mean that?" Zelena asked.

"Absolutely. You have so many skills. You could help with defense, barriers, wards- your adoptive mother taught you how to farm, how to sew, carpentry, right? See, I stopped by your old house, had a look around. The woman who raised you, though it wasn't for long is amazing. I looked for your father." She said. "But it was less about you and more about me wanting to murder him for hurting you."

"I killed him a long time ago." Zelena replied.

"Good." Ruby smirked. "Very good. That bastard deserved it. So...what do you say?"

Zelena slowly nodded. "Okay, but I'm guessing there's a catch?"

"Small one. You would need to become a werewolf."

Zelena seemed to think over the condition for a moment before nodding again. "So be it."

Ruby burst into a wide grin. "Great! Welcome to the Great Wolf Army! Fee!" The little fox quickly made her way over. "Escort Zelena to the main group, will you?" Fee dipped her head and motioned for Zelena to follow. The witch glanced back at Regina before following. Ruby then turned to Regina. "Let's get you back to Snow." A pair of horses were brought to them and they mounted up.

"If I were to join you, I would need to become a werewolf too?" Regina asked as they rode off to the rendezvous point.

"Yes." Ruby answered. "I think it would make life a bit easier being among werewolves and all. Plus, there are lots of my people that hate your people." Regina said nothing in reply. "You know, Regina, you wouldn't be forced to stay with us. I don't force anyone to remain with the army, but if you do decide to join, all I ask for is loyalty and trust."

"I **don't** trust you. I don't see the method to your madness."

"Join me and I'll tell you."

"You've been saying you would explain everything for a while now."

"Well, thank your stepdaughter for interrupting me." Ruby smirked. "On my honor, Regina. You are too brilliant and too powerful to let go. If you leave, Snow and David will either imprison you, banish you, or force you to change to be "accepted". All of which sounds like hell to me. With us, you won't need to change a single thing about you. You're already resilient, probably the most resilient woman I have ever met, you're incredibly smart, you know a lot about magic, diplomacy, the landscape, the different kingdoms of this world. Knowledge is power and you are sitting on a bounty of it. Hell, I might want to train some cavalry in the future and who better to teach them than you? Why is becoming a werewolf such a terrible condition? You'll be surrounded by people who know how to teach you to control it and benefit from it."

Regina swallowed. It was a tempting offer. "How did you suppress my magic? Answer me that and I'll join your army."

Ruby grinned as they came to a stop. Just ahead was a great field currently inhabited by a portion of Snow's army. She and David were in the direct center, waiting for them. "I poured the suppressant in your bath water every morning and every evening before you went in. You absorbed it through the skin."

"Impressive." She admitted.

"Thank you. Welcome to my great army." The werewolf spurred her horse down into the field and Regina followed. "Hello, little princess." She greeted with a smug smirk.

Snow glared at her. "Regina, let's go. Ruby, you should pay for murdering my people."

"Surrender." David added. "And we won't kill you."

"Nah."

"You're outnumbered." Snow reminded her, looking at Ruby. "I know you're still in there. I know this isn't you. We can help you, but you have to stop this. All this death is needless. We will take you in by force if necessary." She looked at Regina. "Please."

"I can't." Regina said. "I'd rather be here."

Ruby scoffed as she trotted around the heroes. "You're going to take me in? You and what army?" Ruby raised her fist. In the near silence, the song of 20,000 bowstrings was loud, like a lion's roar. A rain of arrows soared overhead, decimating Snow's army. More than half fell from that one strike alone. "Regina's not going anywhere. You should be lucky that I don't care about you, or I would kill you too. Learn from this. You can't win."

"Regina, are you serious?" David demanded as Snow turned around and rushed back to her citizens.

"Quite." She answered simply. "Return to your castle if you want to protect your people. It's the only way."

Ruby rode up next to David and boldly looked him in the eye. "Hidden in the forest behind me is 20,000 archers from my army. That is just a taste of what we can do. You still want to fight us? So be it. All of your people will die." David opened his mouth and Ruby snarled, cutting him off. "Careful with your words, Farmer. Or I will turn my entire army around, just to destroy your kingdom."

"You're a monster." He hissed. "Those were good people, with families."

"We're good people with families. That didn't matter when your people murdered us, hunted us, skinned us, wore our fur like trophies, bragged about killing our children, chasing us from our homes, just because we're not like you. You have no idea what it's like to be treated like an animal. You're a farmer, who grew up toiling in the dirt and only became a prince because you have your brother's face. You know nothing, and you are...nothing." Ruby turned around and Regina felt it. That weird feeling she always felt when something was hurtling at her. Her hand snapped out, catching the arrow and stopping it an inch from hitting Ruby in the back. More followed, hitting her horse and throwing her to the ground. She dove behind it as Ruby dropped down next to her, covering her head. David retreated. Ruby's wolves saw that they were pinned down and returned fire. An arrow storm soared overhead preventing them from moving.

"Wait, Ruby, I can just teleport us." Regina said when she noticed Ruby peeking over the horse body.

Ruby suddenly started laughing. "You can't kill the Dread Wolf." She stood up and Regina was prepared to throw up some kind of shield to protect her newfound leader, but Ruby was completely unafraid. In fact, no arrow touched her. "Is that the best you can do?!" In that instant, Ruby was no more. In her place stood the Dread Wolf, the wolf queen, the warlord, the barbarian, the woman who commanded legions of werewolves and wolves. To think a silly arrow could harm her. Ruby walked forward and Regina peered over the horse in awe as the werewolf boldly made her way to the peasants who by now were starting to quake in their boots. The closer she got, the more that fled, leaving behind the bodies of the fallen. David made a final attempt to stop her, or at least distract her as his army retreated. He spurred his horse towards her, drawing his sword. Ruby crouched down, her clothes starting to rip. Her shift was faster than Regina thought it would be. She blinked and in Ruby's place was a wolf. A powerful, massive animal, far larger than David and his horse. Battle scarred and primed, she was...exquisite...and terrifying. The Dread Wolf charged and slammed straight into David's horse, knocking it over and sending him flying. He managed to get quickly to his feet and swung his sword as she advanced upon him, but to everyone's surprise, Ruby grabbed the sword in her jaws and with one powerful bite...shattered it. The Dread Wolf roared and backhanded the man like he was nothing, defeating the supposedly great king in a single stroke.

"Red!" Snow roared. Regina almost laughed at the angry little princess. Ruby seemed to be snickering in her wolf form. However, the she-wolf didn't bother with Snow. She took the reins of David's golden stallion and pulled it over to Regina, dropping the leather into Regina's lap. Regina nodded and mounted up, riding off with the Dread Wolf at her side. By the time they returned, the werewolf camp was entirely gone, as if they were never there in the first place.

"You use magic to hide where you've been?" Regina asked. Ruby nodded and motioned for her to follow. Regina rode after her. They covered quite a bit of ground before they found Raksha waiting for them in the form of a large golden brown wolf. Once the archers had caught up to them, she took the lead to take them back to the rest of the wolf horde. Regina found it quite amazing at how disciplined and efficient Ruby's army was. She'd managed to move her entire encampment in the span of little over 2 hours, For a human army it would've been impossible. Then it occurred to her that maybe Ruby already had a second encampment and that one was just for the new arrivals. Her more seasoned warriors could be hidden away. She was thoroughly impressed with the she-wolf so far, but she continued to be wary until she knew exactly what Ruby was planning.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina was a bit surprised when she opened her eyes and found herself laying on a giant four poster bed. She didn't even remember going to sleep. She wiped at her eyes and looked around at the magnificent room. A roaring fireplace nearby attracted her attention and she sat up, taking in her surroundings more clearly. The room was heavily furnished with oak furniture and silk tapestries on the walls bearing the emblem of King Stefan. She moved to get up, finding that the floor was wonderfully carpeted. In the adjoining room she found a lovely bath made of white stone and already filled with steaming water. On the edge sat various soaps, moisturizers, lotions and other sweet smelling products. She took a nice hot bath and returned to her room to look in the wardrobes for clothes. One wardrobe she recognized as her own and it was full of her extravagant dresses and shoes. The other was newer, or at least new to her, and was filled with clothes of a more simpler make, mostly leathers and furs. She put on some undergarments and chose black leather pants and a brown leather jacket with two long tails for her outfit for the door. She neglected jewelry and only added in a little makeup. When she finished, there was a knock at the door.

"You're up." Ruby peeked in with a smile, now dressed in a long blood red dress with a piece of fur draped over her left shoulder. "Don't you look delicious."

Regina scoffed. "What happened? Did I fall asleep riding?"

"Yes, and almost fell off your horse." The werewolf smirked. "But don't worry, I caught you."

"This is King Stefan's palace?" She asked, gesturing to the tapestries.

"Yes. We took over a year ago, still settling in. Earned us some pretty big points with the lady in scales next door when we delivered a gift wrapped Stefan to her on a plate."

"And Aurora and Philip?"

"They ran off." Ruby shrugged. "This is home base for now. Would you like to see my world, Regina? Or should I say, our world."

Regina nodded and allowed herself to be lead out of the room. Winter was coming but it hadn't quite set in yet so the air was nice. The werewolves had certainly made themselves at home in the palace and refortified it. Ruby lead her through the halls of the palace and then down into the streets where she met more of her people. All of them were indeed just people: mothers tending to their little pups, farmers tending the vegetable and herb gardens, armored warriors and wolves on the patrol, hunters bringing in heaps of meat and fish, old women sitting on the porches sewing clothes and armor, blacksmiths hammering away in their forges. It all seemed perfect...except for it being a bit overcrowded. "There's no castle that can comfortably house all these people." She said as they walked back into the palace and into the kitchens.

"I'm aware." Ruby sighed. She pulled out a chair for Regina before taking one across from her. A server wandered over to bring them mugs of ale and went off to get them some food. "That's why I've been thinking. I found a way to create a world. An entire world for my people. This one is too small. No matter what castle we take, it would be too small for us to live in comfortably and the winters could kill so many of us if we aren't properly prepared. Building the necessary structures would take time and supplies that we don't have, or supplies that it would take longer to obtain"

"A spell? Is it a curse?" Regina frowned.

Ruby shook her head. "It's what we need. With it, I can handcraft an entire world, just for us. But I need power and that's why I kidnapped you and your sister. Stealing your power would've killed you, but it would've worked."

"We wouldn't have been enough." Regina said, scowling.

"True. That's why I was also considering finding a new world to put us in. It would take time, but I could drain this world of its magical properties and power and simply create a city or something and essentially drop us in another world."

"Draining this world would kill countless people."

Ruby waved her hand dismissively. "They are not my concern. The near 100,000 werewolves out there are. The ones who are trusting me right now to take care of them. Our numbers are growing every day, from other werewolves coming in from all over the world or the pups being born. You know, wolves can have litters up to 6 pups a year. We've been here a year and you don't want to know how many litters that can be."

"So you're going to kill everyone so your people can live in a perfect world?"

"Yeah." Ruby grinned. "Perfect plan, right? Besides, why should that bother you? Since when does the Evil Queen have a conscience? You killed because of your vendetta against Snow White, how is that any better than my plan?"

"Because you're talking about murdering children as well. I've never killed children."

"But an entire village is acceptable?" Ruby frowned. "Regina, the world has done you no favors. The road to redemption is a thousand times harder than what it took to become the Evil Queen. They don't deserve pity or mercy. No one gave you any, or me, or my people. From this moment on, you will always be the Evil Queen, the mass murderer, the life ruiner. You will never wash that blood off your hands. Now, me, I don't care about all that. You work for me now. My people are your people. A wolf pack only works if every wolf is working towards the same goal. You are an extension of your alpha...me."

Regina sighed and thought about it. Ruby was right...again. There was simply no going back now and really no reason to. "Okay, you've convinced me."

"If you want to find a better way to cast this spell, then fine. Have at it, I don't care." The Dread Wolf shrugged. "But I don't need you to go soft on me now. You were ready to cut my throat a week ago and try to escape. I need you to keep that attitude." She smirked as the server returned with plates of roasted meat and vegetables. She brought a pan of bread and topped off their ale. "Tonight is your ceremony. For becoming one of us."

"Can't wait." Regina replied, digging into her food. After they finished eating, Ruby took her down to the stables where she was presented with a brand new black ,are, perhaps the finest horse she had ever laid eyes upon.

"She's yours." Ruby smiled. "I know how much you like horses."

"Are you serious?" Regina gasped.

"Mmhmm." Ruby chuckled as she quickly went to mount up. The horse was already saddled with their finest tack. "It's sort of a...welcome home gift."

Regina smirked as she spurred the horse off into the meadow and Ruby watched with a smile as she rode around the paddock. She glanced away when Raksha came to her side.

"Reinforcing with gifts, I see."

"I can't have her having second thoughts." Ruby replied. "Besides, we're continuing with the real plans. Is Cora dead?"

"Yes, we drained her last night."

"Good riddance. Can you believe she could lay a hand on someone like that?" She gestured to Regina. "Fucking bitch, I want to eat her heart out. That one's going to make a fine werewolf." Raksha looked at her, causing her to look up. "What?"

"You like her."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "She's something special, but she's not you."

"Don't try and butter me up. You haven't put nearly as much effort into recruiting anyone else as you have these two. Now, you were all set to drain them as well. What happened?"

Ruby smirked. "I got a better idea."

/

While Regina was a bit conflicted over her decision, there was absolutely no hesitation about the decision in Zelena's mind. She had already gained a small following among Ruby's warriors and almost a dozen had already volunteered to learn magic. The pair found Zelena in the massive stone cellar that Ruby had given her as a temporary work space. The witch went with it and made herself right at home. With Fee as her newfound assistant, she conjured various desks and magic-making equipment she needed, as well as recruit some people to start learning magic.

"Already hard at work, I see." Ruby commented as she and Regina walked in.

Fee looked up with a grin. "Yes, my queen." She ran over to Ruby and held up a large book full of drawn designs, diagrams and formulas. "Zelena already has plans for communication devices, wards we can wear into battle, necklaces that morph into armor and-"

"And…" Zelena said, walking towards them and taking her book from an excited little fox. "Ways to double your food production. For starters."

"Sorry." Fee said solemnly.

Zelena smiled at her. "It's fine." She looked at Ruby. "I've been working on these since I was a kid, but they're just prototypes and they might not be very good…"

Ruby sighed and placed both hands on the redhead's shoulders. "We are going to work on this confidence thing with you. Your designs sound amazing. I can get you anything you need, including some guys to help you test these prototypes. We might need them. Especially those communication devices."

Zelena beamed and nodded. "Give me a few days and I should have some ready to test."

Ruby grinned. "Excellent." They all turned at the sound of claws clicking on the stone and a large wolf came into the room. Ruby sighed and went to see what was going on. Fee continued fixing Zelena's desk for her while she talked to Regina.

"Settling in nicely?" The redhead asked.

"I suppose so. I can definitely see that you are."

Zelena smiled and nodded. "Ruby said I can start small and start to expand in a couple months. She's put me in charge of all of the magic in the army. Are you ready for tonight?"

"Are you?"

"Absolutely. I can't wait. It's a chance for something more in life."

Regina arched an eyebrow. "She tell you her plans about destroying this world to create a new one."

"Yep." Zelena shrugged nonchalantly. "This was never my world. I don't really care what happens to it."

Regina frowned a little but decided not to press further. She spent the rest of the evening with her sister and that evening...everything changed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were instructed to wear nothing but a dress, one they didn't mind messing up. Regina was nervous. Everyone turned to look at her and her sister as Fee lead them through the halls of the palace to the the throne room. It was an architectural marvel, made of golden bricks with six great pillars lining the thick white rug that lead the way up to the fur covered throne upon which the Dread Wolf sat, a dark and foreboding sight that made Regina's blood run cold. The only others present were Fee, Raksha and Ruby's 12 other generals, consisting of the oldest, strongest and most trusted of her army. There were other werewolves, silently waiting and watching on the edge of the room. Ruby had changed out of her dress and furs and was wrapped in a piece of fur that fastened at her shoulder. Regina and Zelena walked to the edge of the throne room and dropped to one knee, bowing to their new queen.

"Rise, ladies." Ruby chuckled. "No need for such formalities." She stood up off of her throne and descended the steps to help them up. "Are you two ready?"

"Yes." They said in unison.

Ruby smiled brightly, flashing a stunning array of teeth and turned to her generals. "Look at them, ladies and gentlemen. Once our prisoners...slash guests, and now they want to be one of us. Now, I don't have to explain to you all, the asset they will be to us, and the asset we will be to them. Denied every instance of happiness and justice by the world, they're ready to join ours, because fate fucked them both. Just like it did us."

"Do you renounce your former loyalties?" Raksha asked.

"Don't have any former loyalties." Zelena replied.

"All my former loyalties are dead." Regina added.

"See?" Ruby smiled. "Aren't they wonderful?" She turned back to them. "I just want you to know that remaining with us is not permanent. You are allowed to leave any time you may wish. However, once you accept this, you will be apart of the pack. Every wolf out there is your brother and your sister. From this moment on, the pack is your family. Understand?" They simply nodded. Ruby walked around them and Regina heard her shift, but Raksha stepping forward kept her attention.

"Repeat after me please." She said. "Now this is the law of the forest, as old and as true as the sky, and the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back; for the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack." Regina and Zelena repeated the creed and Raksha nodded slowly. "We are more than just an army of werewolves, darlings, more than a people. We are a family. We are a pack. Loyalty to your pack is everything, loyalty to our alpha, our queen, is everything." She touched their shoulders and turned them around. Ruby was waiting in wolf form. Raksha pulled out their arms, holding them out. Ruby waited, as if for final confirmation. Zelena nodded and the she-wolf leaned forward, taking the witch's forearm gently between her teeth and slowly bit into it. She slowly removed her teeth from the wound and did the same to Regina.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then her arm started to burn. She grabbed at the wound, attempting to heal it. The most terrible pain she had ever experienced started to spread up her arm. "Ruby, what's...what's happening?!"

"It's okay." Fee said. Zelena suddenly collapsed to the ground with a sharp thud.

Regina fell everything go black and she hit the ground as well. She couldn't see, but she could feel. The burning was all over her body now. She grit her teeth against it. She felt like fighting the entire world. The pups in the army became her pups, the warriors became her brothers and sisters, the mothers became her mothers, and Ruby became her leader. She wanted to destroy anything that would dare lay a hand on them. Is that what Ruby felt like? Something was trying to burst out of her, something wanted to be free.

"Welcome to the Great Wolf Army, Regina." Ruby whispered. When Regina opened her eyes….she could feel them glowing.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	4. Chapter 4

Three months passed in the blink of an eye and most of it was spent learning to harness this new power of hers. Raksha was assigned as her trainer and within the first week...Regina absolutely hated this woman. She had to learn how to shift from human to wolf and back again, controlling her senses, how to hunt, how to stalk, how to read tracks, learn the various signals and body language that were both natural to wolves and instituted by Ruby. They were schooled on the way Ruby ran her army, how efficiently they moved, the best strategies when fighting with them and against them, new combat strategies, and a mountain of other things. She even decided to venture into her former kingdom one night to see if her loyal soldiers were okay. Ruby assured her that most of them had been spared since they laid down their weapons when Regina surrendered. She found about 2 dozen at least and all of them had been imprisoned by the new asshole that had taken the throne that she and Snow had left vacant. She released her soldiers and gave them gold for their troubles. Some even returned with her. She was sure it was a bit easier for her than it was for Zelena, who in addition to her training, also taught others magic and tested new inventions. Then, when Ruby considered them good enough, she sent Regina on missions to secure patronage from various kingdoms, using her knowledge to their advantage and demanding tributes of food, horses, wood and cloth. She successfully completed 4 missions before Zelena scored them the big fish. Using one of her latest creations, a bomb powerful enough to blow breach points into castle walls, Zelena almost single handedly took down the Golden King himself. King Midas. Ruby had only asked for 300 horses and some gold, but Zelena took it a step further, taking 700 horses and cleaning out most of the treasuries which half went to strengthening their alliance with Maleficent, whose territory they relied on for hunting grounds. Ruby never worried about any attacks. Their numbers grew larger every day and with the shadow of a dragon hanging over them, the Great Wolf Army was sitting pretty...for now...they still needed power for this great plan of Ruby's, and she was about to go after her greatest enemy yet.

/

Regina slowly moved across the forest floor, belly low, tail down, ears pricked. She tasted the wind, making sure she was in position. She moved carefully, walking on her toes as she came upon the lone wolf laying in the small clearing. When she got close enough she froze completely and bunched her hind legs beneath her, froze again for the slightest moment and pounced. Ruby spun at the last second and rolled through her attack, shrugging her off and blocking her swings. Regina hopped away and snarled, letting her fur fluff out to make herself more fearsome. Ruby seemed more amused than anything. Regina charged, bowling over her leader. They shifted in unison and Regina ended up on her back with Ruby on her chest, one hand blocking the knife she had pulled out. The last time she had tried this ended up the same way, but Regina had learned. She held a second knife to Ruby's neck and smirked as Ruby conceded her defeat.

"Better?" Regina asked.

Ruby chuckled softly. "We'll make a wolf out of you yet." She leaned down and captured the former queen's lips with her own, stealing her breath and causing a moan to erupt from her throat. Ruby took the dagger from her and tossed it across the grass. Her hands slid under Regina's vest and teased her stomach. "You taste good enough to eat."

"I bet Raksha tastes good too." Regina replied, pushing the she-wolf back.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I told you, that was just a casual thing."

"And all werewolves enjoy a hedonistic lifestyle?"

"Let's just say we don't stress over things like you used to do. But guess who's a werewolf now." Ruby said with a smirk.

Regina pushed her off and got back to her feet, retrieving her daggers and sheathing them. She offered her hand and helped Ruby up. "What's our next mission?"

"For now, I just need more houses built and conjured. I have Zelena and Raksha running an underground team to build us some dens and bolt holes throughout the territories. Everyone having a warm place to stay for the winter is my main concern."

"Food stores full?"

"For now. You any good with kids?" Ruby asked.

"Why?" Regina asked as they walked back to the castle.

"Because, I want to reveal something to you eventually. You know that I need magical essence or life essence to power this spell. I've arranged a meeting with the Dark One and Maleficent-"

"Wait, I thought Mal was our ally." Regina said, pausing.

"She is. She's going to be there for backup mostly. Our target is Rumpelstiltskin. When they get here, I'll distract him with a deal, you, Zelena and Fee are going to take a trip to his castle and see if you can find his dagger."

"Won't his castle be guarded?"

"No, we've scoped it out. He only has a maid, after all, who's stupid enough to break into a castle owned by the Dark One?"

"Us…"

Ruby laughed. "Correct. Anyways, the Dark One could provide a great deal of power, maybe even all we need. He would just have to die, but I'm sure you wouldn't really care about that. I'll let you know more when necessary."

"And the kid thing?"

"Well…" Ruby seemed to think for a moment, as if trying to figure out the best way to word her request. "I want you to have my babies." She grinned, sliding close to Regina, who rolled her eyes and pushed her back. "What? Can you imagine the perfection of our offspring?"

"Any child of mine would be perfect anyway." Regina retorted. "You want me to have your babies and that's it?"

"No, of course not. I want you to help me rule the world."

"Eh, you're doing fine." She shrugged. They shifted again and raced back to the castle on four legs, greeting people as they made their way through the streets. Inside the castle was where the old and the young stayed. They were fed before any other and wore more expensive clothes. The surrounding city and buildings housed the young wolves, the warriors and the most elite of the Dread Wolf's army that wore armor. A deal with Maleficent and her metal workers were producing more sets of armor. Regina didn't voice it, but she didn't particularly like how much they were beginning to rely on the dragon. They were notoriously fickle creatures and could turn on them in a second. Ruby lead her into the throne room where they found Raksha relaxing on the throne.

"Well, if it isn't our beloved Regina, accompanying our great and powerful Dread Wolf. Shocking." Raksha scoffed.

"Jealousy does not become you." Regina smirked, taking a seat at the steps. Ruby walked up to her throne.

"How goes the war camp at Camelot?"

"We're ready. Just waiting for your command." Raksha replied with a small glare at Regina. "May I have a word with you, privately, Dread Wolf?"

Ruby arched an eyebrow before turning to Regina. "Would you excuse us?" Regina dipped her head and left, sashaying out of the room. Ruby looked at Raksha. "Speak."

"What do you see in her?"

"What does it matter? Is that it?"

"No, you're pushing them too hard too fast. Regina is nothing more than a whelp, her sister too and yet you're reconfiguring our battle plans to best fit them? Why the fuck are they so important?"

Ruby sighed. "Raksha, baby, who is the leader of our great army?"

"You are."

"And who is your great alpha?"

"You are." Raksha growled.

"Thank you. I'm reconfiguring our battle plans because Zelena's inventions and Regina's magic could prevent less deaths on our side. They make us stronger, every wolf makes us stronger."

"Then why are we waiting on Camelot?"

"Because I don't have what I want to attack it. Hold position until I say otherwise." Ruby moved on into her bedroom for a nap. Leading an army was exhausting. She got onto her bed but she couldn't sleep. There was a knock at the door and she called for the person to enter. Zelena peeked in. "Come in. Sit."

The witch walked in and hesitantly sat on the bed next to her. "I just wanted to tell you that the trap for the Dark One is finished. Tried and tested on yours truly. We're ready."

Ruby nodded. "Excellent work. Tomorrow we can finish working out the details of your school."

"Thank you, again." Zelena said. "I feel like I'm doing something that matters."

"You are. You were always meant for greatness, Zelena. Now that you are part of my bloodline-"

"Your bloodline?"

"Yes, I changed you, so you are a part of my bloodline of werewolves now." Ruby smiled.

"So we're like...family?" Zelena asked, tilting her head.

"I guess you could say that." Ruby smirked as she pulled the witch in for a hug, smiling when Zelena started giggling. "We are going to change the world, my dear. But I'm going to need a small promise."

"Anything."

Ruby released her and sat back on the bed. "If something happens to me-"

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Ruby." Zelena frowned.

" **If** something does… i want you to promise that you're not going to give up. The Dread Wolf has as many enemies as it does allies and I want to know that our people will be good hands."

"They will. I'm not going anywhere." Zelena said.

"I am afraid." Ruby admitted, voicing thoughts that had been weighing on her mind for a while now. "I am afraid that if I die, our dreams will not be fulfilled. We won't get our home because we'll turn back into deranged dogs fighting for scraps. I don't want you to always have to be in your lab maling weapons of war. One day, I want both of us to wake up to mates in our bed, children running across the floor."

"We are stronger than ever because of you." Zelena replied, taking her hand. "We are here because of you and nothing is going to change that. As for the future, I know we will do great things and then we will live in peace...in our world. A world that we will build because of you. And as for the mate thing, I'm sure every single werewolf out there is anxiously awaiting the day that you will choose a mate and produce an heir."

Ruby scoffed. "I don't know if there is a mate for me. Children, though, I'm having a ton of pups."

"I thought you and Raksha were a thing."

"We were, and there was no one I trusted more to have children with, but she is my friend and my general and I feel like she might have trouble...separating things. Was that clear?"

Zelena nodded. "I get it. So...you and Regina aren't…"

"I asked her to have my babies, she said no."

Zelena rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Well, I don't know how to help you there."

Ruby sighed and fell back on the bed. She closed her eyes, thinking about the coming months. Winter was setting in and she needed to hurry and get the magical energy necessary to cast her spell. The bed dipped and she felt Zelena lay down next to her.

"Stop thinking. Get some rest."

"Only if you will."

"Deal."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"What deal will you offer the Dark One?" Came the dragon's soft purr. Ruby adjusted the piece of fur she had draped over her shoulder and took a deep breath, feeling the wolf stir beneath her skin. She turned around, finding the Dragon Queen's eyes raking over her form, as if studying her. Maleficent herself was an interesting creature. Ruby had scouted her lands and she came to find that her people, living in the isolation that the mountains and their mistress provided, were quite strange. They lived frivolous lives and were some of the best warriors she had ever seen. They disliked visitors and anyone threatening their mistress. To the rest of the world, Maleficent was an evil sorceress, a beast, but to her people, she was a benevolent and wonderful ruler. She was gorgeous as well, absolutely gorgeous, any person in their right mind would kill to win her affection. Golden hair, bright blue eyes, luscious figure, brilliant mind. Rich and powerful beyond measure...Stefan was the biggest idiot to ever exist.

"I haven't made one up yet. I just need him to stay here long enough for Zelena to set up this trap she made."

"And you will take the Dark One's power? You will become the Dark One?"

"Yes, but not for long. I've sent wolves all over the world and we've found a way to control the darkness. But I will need your assistance after we sack Camelot and take Merlin's power."

"My, you've been a busy wolf." Maleficent chuckled softly, relaxing into her chair. "Much better than the sniveling cub I met years ago." She conjured a goblet of wine and sipped it, licking her crimson stained lips afterwards. "Good."

"I've been thinking, Dragon Queen, this spell will allow to create a world. Why don't you and your people join us? You might not be the last of your kind and there, you can rebuild like we will."

"My dear, you don't want to meet the rest of my kind." Maleficent chuckled softly. "But I will accept your offer, for my people."

Ruby nodded. "I'm glad you accepted this alliance." She said, taking a seat near the dragon.

"As long as it continues to benefit me and those within my territory, you have my full support."

Ruby looked away and rubbed her hands together. It was almost time. Maleficent teleported them away to the meeting place, a simple clearing in the forest that sat on the border between their territories. The air was chilly but neither wolf nor dragon felt it. It took a few minutes for their guest to arrive, but he finally did and Ruby felt her skin crawl as the Dark One made his appearance.

"I got your message, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said. "You said you had some information for me?"

"The Queen of Hearts is dead." Ruby smirked. "Cora is dead." The smirk on the Dark One's face faltered. "I killed her myself, drained her of all her magic."

"Am I supposed to cry?"

"No, but you might when you realize that your plot of manipulation on Regina is done as well. She is one of us now, a werewolf, beneath the command of the Dread Wolf."

"Manipulation?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, she told me about your little plan to use her to cast the Dark Curse. That plan has failed. Not only that but Zelena is among my ranks as well. She told me about you choosing Regina over her, wanting to use them to cast a curse to take you to the Land Without Magic. However, if you weren't such a prick, Zelena just might've given you the ruby slippers, saved you the trouble of ruining their lives." Ruby walked forward, smirking and showing her stunning array of teeth. "Maleficent destroyed the Dark Curse. You're never going to see your son again." The Dark One scowled and slammed her against the nearest tree.

"How dare you? What will stop me from ripping you apart right now?"

"The 3,000 werewolves surrounding you, probably." She chuckled softly. "Aaoooh." She smirked as the forest around them became alive with wolf howls. It was almost deafening to her sensitive ears.

"I could kill every single of them."

"What about your little maid, Rumple?" Maleficent inquired from where she was leaning against a tree. "Who will protect her while you're murdering werewolves?"

Rumple released Ruby and took a step back. He seemed conflicted. It was Regina who revealed the Dark One's affection for the maid who had been forced into being his servant. Belle French was her name. Ruby had met her once before, having done work for her father in protecting the borders against ogre attacks. That was when she was just a struggling warlord leading a pack of barely 20. Belle seemed a nice girl, far too nice to be around this buffoon and far too intelligent to spend her life doing menial chores. "You better run to her, Dark One, before my wolves get to her." Rumple immediately teleported away and Maleficent teleported the both of them after him, appearing in his foyer. They walked into the den and found the Dark One stuck in a sphere of green magical energy. 4 runes carved into the wall held the trap in place, another of Zelena's designs. Belle was seated on a chair nearby, with Fee watching over her. Zelena, Regina and the rest of the wolves Ruby sent with them were tearing the place apart for the dagger.

"What is this?" Rumple hissed.

"Just an ingenious device created by the woman you rejected. Zelena is an amazing woman when it comes to magic. Only, you couldn't see that. So, I have employed her talents for me." Ruby replied. She turned to the dragon. "Maleficent, can you help us find the dagger?" The blonde nodded and walked out of the room. Rumple scowled and started firing at his prison. Regina and Zelena returned to reinforce it, but they couldn't hold him there for long. "Miss French, we meet again." Ruby smirked, sitting down next to her. "How have you been?"

"Um, fine."

"How would you like your life back? No more being a maid. Perhaps, you could even put that beautiful brain of yours to real work, helping people who need it, learning things you never thought you could, going on real adventures instead of sitting here in this drab castle listening to this bastard here. There's a lot you could offer the world."

"Your world." Belle said. "I know what you've become, Ruby, or should I say, Dread Wolf?"

"Yes, that is my name, but think for a moment. Your father sold you off like a broodmare to be a slave to a man called the Dark One." She stood up and motioned to the irate man. "A man with nothing to lose is a dangerous man. Did he tell you about all the villages he's slaughtered? All the lives he's ruined." She gestured to Regina and Zelena. "Those two included. He has manipulated them since day one, more than willing to sacrifice them for the son that he was too much of a coward to save. Wherever this son may be is probably a thousand times happier to be free. You could be free too, you owe him no loyalty. Even if you don't join us, you are perfectly free to go. We'll give you a horse, fill your saddlebags with gold and food and even offer you an escort to wherever you want to go. Although I do hope we meet again under much better circumstances." She stood up as Maleficent returned, wielding the Dark One's dagger.

"Stop!" She commanded and Rumple fell still. Zelena took down her barrier and the dagger was passed to Ruby.

"You will never get away with this! I will kill you all!" Rumpelstiltskin roared.

"No, you won't." Ruby said. "As for me...I'm just getting started." She flashed a toothy grin as she slammed the dagger into his heart. Almost immediately she found herself in a dark forest. No moon, no stars, just darkness. A heavy darkness that almost sat on her shoulders and attempted to weigh you down. The kind of darkness you breathed in and choked on. She looked around until she saw the shadows move and a figure emerge. "Granny?"

"Hello, pup." Granny Lucas smiled as her granddaughter ran into her arms. "You've been busy, I see. What are you doing, Red?"

"I'm helping our people." said Ruby. "Don't they deserve a true home? A place where they aren't persecuted for something they can't control?"

"You're hurting people, Red. Innocent people."

"Ana and her family were innocent. My mother and her pack were innocent. Thousands of werewolves were innocent. They are the ones who hunt us and isolate us and kill us."

"Not at all of them. You can't blame an entire race because the actions of a few. You're better than that."

"I know I am." Ruby growled. "What the fuck is the big deal about humans anyway? They think they're so smart, so fucking superior to everything else. I'm twice as strong as any human, more durable, more intelligent, twice as fast, and yet they want me to feel sorry for myself?! They want us wishing that we were like them. I refuse. I refuse to believe that there is anything wrong with me. I refuse to believe that being a werewolf makes me any less of a person than a human."

"And you are going to kill humans to prove this point?"

"No, I'm going to create a haven for werewolves, away from humans. I know you never wanted to become one, but at least tell me why."

Granny tilted her head. "Why what?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me, that's what. Instead of making me wear that stupid cloak. You could've at least told me why and then I would've made sure to wear the cloak."

"I was protecting you, pup. You weren't ready and I knew what they would do once they found out what you were. I did my best, I raised you right, I raised you to know that what you're doing is wrong-"

"No, you raised me to be a human. I'm not a human, i never was and never will be. You might not have liked being a werewolf, but the least you could've done, Granny, is teach me how to be one. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for everything you've done and I'm grateful to be able to talk to you now, but...I can't turn back now."

"I know, Dark One." Granny nodded slowly.

"Dread Wolf." Ruby corrected her.

"Red-"

"Ruby." She corrected again. "I guess this is good bye." A piece of her wanted Granny to be happy for her, wanted her to say she was proud of all that Ruby had done, but she knew it was too much to hope for. She turned away from her grandmother and almost immediately appeared at some kind of stone circle on the ground, her clothes replaced with an oversized cloak. She was the Dark One now.

/

That night, Regina and Raksha attempted to talk to their leader, who wasn't in a good mood after her victory over Rumpelstiltskin. They were sent away without a glance. It was Zelena who managed to crack the Dread Wolf's newly grown shell.

"Hey." She peeked into the master bedroom, finding Ruby sitting on the floor next to her bed, polishing her grandmother's crossbow. Ruby glanced up at her, but ultimately turned back to her task. Zelena stepped in and took a seat next to her leader. "Are you okay, Ruby?"

"I'm fine." She replied gruffly.

"No, you're not. What'd you see?"

"You should be resting." Ruby replied without looking up. "Preparing that trap must've taken a lot of you. I don't want you in that workshop for at least a week. Go get some food, some wine and a nice woman." Zelena arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Did you see your grandmother?" The witch asked.

Ruby sighed and put down the crossbow. "Yes. I was everything I expected it to be. Disappointing."

"Oh, well...I'm sorry about that. Even if your grandmother didn't live up to your expectations, you certainly live up to ours. She should be grateful to have you as a granddaughter. Any person in their right mind would. Don't ever forget what you mean to us, okay?"

"I know."

Zelena got up and extended her hand. "Come with me, I have something you'll want to see." Ruby looked at her hand before sighing again and accepting it. "Put on a smile, you'll love it." Ruby offered a fake smile and followed her out of her room and downstairs where the dining room had been piled high with food. Drinks were flowing, a band was performing, people were dancing and singing. Zelena took her hand and lead her over to the head of the table, pushing her into her chair. The witch then climbed onto a table and silenced the room. "Everyone, this feast is for our leader, our great and terrible Dread Wolf. To Ruby Lucas, to our alpha and our queen. Without her, we would not be here today and it is because of her that we have our families, our friends, our homes, food for the winter, shelter from the cold." A round of cheers went up and Zelena smirked when she saw a ghost of a smile on Ruby's lips. "Long may she reign, long may our great army continue to triumph. With her at our head, we will never know defeat. To the Dread Wolf!" Cheers erupted around the room, almost making her go deaf. Her senses were still rather sensitive. She hopped off the table as music and chatter arose once again. Ruby stood up and placed a tender kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you."

"You gave me a reason to live, Ruby. You are my reason to live. To see our dream fulfilled."

Ruby flashed a bright smile. "Tomorrow, we will hunt together. You and me. And then, we will start back perfecting our world."

Zelena nodded and accepted another kiss before Ruby was pulled away to join the festivities. She smiled to herself as Ruby laughed and joined in the merrymaking.

"You two seem awfully chummy." Regina said, coming to her side, lazily sipping a cup of wine.

"Jealousy isn't very becoming of you, sister." Zelena replied before moving off to join Fee at the feast. As long as her friend was happy, she didn't really care what anyone else thought. Ruby deserved to have her dreams come true.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Camelot was under siege. For the first time, the Dread Wolf's entire army was going to war. Thousands of werewolves scaled the ancient walls, broke through the worn stone, laid waste to any soldier that stood in their way.

Maleficent watched the carnage from up above, a pleased growl bubbling out of her throat as she watched the battle. It had been a long time since she had gone to war. She could smell the blood, hear the screams, the crashing of steel against steel. The Dread Wolf let her beasts loose in the streets. They climbed the walls and shifted into wolves, throwing the enemy from the battlements rather than attacking. The Great Wolf Army swarmed through marketplace. The peasants and children were rounded up and held in place. The dragon turned her head, zeroing in on the redheaded witch she had met a month ago. Zelena wielded a spear against one of King Arthur's knights until the knight broke it and she set him on fire with a well placed fireball. She changed into her wolf form, a large dark red animal and launched herself at a group of soldiers, almost laughing gleefully as she did so. Maleficent turned again, seeking out her sister, Regina, who was leading the charge against the final stand at the gates, in human form while hacking away with an axe and a dagger, seemingly enjoying the battle as much as her sister. They shared a bloodlust. That was interesting…

/

It took only an hour to bring Camelot to its knees. Regina magically cleaned her face as she looked around the throne room where the rest of the knights and the royal family were being held. Merlin, the great sorcerer had surrendered when he saw them in danger. She sheathed her weapons and looked up as Zelena and Raksha walked up. Zelena was cleaning the blood off her face but Raksha allowed it to remain. The doors opened and all eyes turned to watch the Dread Wolf walk in. With the added power of the Dark One, Ruby was thrice her size. **(A/N: Think Fenris from Thor: Ragnarok)** She strode into the room, claws clicking on the bare floors, a soft growl bubbling in her throat, the light shining off the black steel of her armor. She passed before King Arthur and Queen Guinevere before she shifting into her human form. This time, she wore a flexible suit of black steel with a cape of white fur draped over her shoulder. Power flowed off of her in waves.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Arthur roared. "Camelot will never be yours! I am the king! I will end you for this!" He continued screaming curses until Raksha held her bloody claws to his throat.

Ruby crouched down in front of him. "Puny king, look around you. Look at your streets, running red with blood. Do you think I care about this castle? About your throne? About you?" She snatched the crown off his head and crushed it in her hands. She nodded to the throne and a pair of wolves ripped it apart. "When I am done, I will tear down your walls, pulverize the stone and throw it into the river. I will set fire to your homes, reduce your town to ash. All of your banners will be shredded, tomes of your history destroyed. It will be as if Camelot had never existed. **You** will never have existed. Do not ever presume to think that someone wants your pathetic throne, your pathetic human titles. I'm the Dread Wolf and that will outrank you any day." She turned to look at Merlin.

"I knew you would come." He said solemnly. "And I knew I wouldn't be able to stop you when you came."

"It's good that you have accepted your fate, because it's not a pretty one." She nodded to Fee, who stepped up with Zelena and placed some kind of collar around Merlina's neck. It started to glow as it drained away his magic, his life force.

"One day, you will be stopped. You will fall, as all people like you do. I have seen it."

Ruby scoffed. "There is no one like me. There has never been someone like me. You don't understand, but you don't need to. You'll be dead in about 5 minutes." She turned around. "Bring me the sword." Another werewolf walked to Arthur and pulled Excalibur out of its sheath, flipping it and handing to Ruby with a respectful bow. She accepted the blade and unsheathed the Dark One's dagger, revealing that it was the missing piece of the sword. Arthur's jaw dropped. "Tonight, Excalibur will be reforged anew and the darkness will be banished forever. Not before it breathes life into my new world of course." She looked to one of her generals next to her. "Clear this place out. Take the food, the weapons, the armor, the alcohol, any and everything that could one day be of use."

"And then?"

"Erase it from existence."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That night, while her army partied and celebrated their latest victory, she silently watched Maleficent and her team of metalworkers reforge the ancient blade. She watched as if mesmerized as the dragon used her bare hands to expertly sculpt the hot metal before a series of hammer strikes set it in place. With it completed, she could destroy the need for a new Dark One and pull all of the darkness out of herself. With all of that power, she could forge a proper world for her people. It wasn't quite enough. That would mean more people would have to die… She sighed and walked out into the cool night air, her thoughts turning to her conversations with Zelena. It made her want a mate and children, the season was near. She could have any werewolf she wanted, but...that wouldn't be enough. She took a deep breath. Her people came first. They needed a secure future before she could think about her own.

"Dread Wolf." Maleficent stepped out of her forge and held up the sword.

"You'll have your payment in the morning."

The dragon nodded. "And your next mission?"

"We still need more power. I'm thinking about sending regiments back to Wonderland, capture Jafar and the Red Queen. Maybe send some for-"

"May I have a regiment? I'll bring you something that will please us both."

"You know, Regina says not to trust you so much." Ruby said.

"Regina is the one who should not be trusted. I have given you no reason to distrust me. As I said, as long as this arrangement continues to benefit me, you have nothing to worry about on my end. Send out your regiments, relax, make children, leave it to me." Maleficent patted her on the shoulder. "It's been so long since…you know, Dread Wolf, why don't we all go to war?"

Ruby smirked. "Knew you couldn't resist. It's time you got out of that castle, Dragon Queen."

"You are absolutely right. It's a bit boring watching you have all the fun." She held out her arm, which Ruby barely hesitated to grab and shake. "To war. For our people."

"To war."

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	5. Chapter 5

Within a year, the Enchanted Forest had been transformed drastically. For the first time in years, the Dragon Queen lead her armies into battle. That was the start of the problems. Whereas Ruby's attacks held some sort of special purpose, Maleficent attacked everything in sight, only concerned for the gold and silver. She toppled King Midas almost immediately because dragons...and gold, she attacked ships, caravans, bandit camps, the list went on. She had wanted to attack the Sea Witch, who being a demigod, would provide all of the power they needed for Ruby's spell, but after careful deliberation, neither wanted to anger the gods. Their armies would only join forces once during the siege of Wonderland, and it was a glorious, glorious siege that lasted 3 bloody months and after it, was 3 beautiful months of celebration. Afterwards, Ruby sent Raksha and a portion of her army to Arendelle and Regina with another general and some regiments to Agrabah. There were no magic users in Agrabah they could capture, but there was plenty of supplies they could use and architectural styles that Ruby wanted to use for their world. Ruby would have gone herself, but with mating season near for her kind, she was stuck helping to dealing with petty squabbles among her people and establishing unity. Werewolves were naturally hedonist and didn't really care about partners, but after you claimed your mate, all bets were off if they were touched.

/

Ruby smirked a little as she sat on the edge of Zelena's desk, finding the witch asleep on top of it, using her books and notes as a pillow. Ruby touched her shoulder and the redhead sat up instantly. "Relax, Z."

Zelena sighed and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Midday."

"Shit." She sighed. "I have to finish my translations from the Grimmerie and I have a magic class this evening and figure out a way to get free of that stupid deal I made with Glinda-"

"Okay, first, you're not doing any of that. You need to rest."

"I can't, Ruby. I have far too much to do today."

"I don't care about that. I don't want you to overwork yourself. Now, why don't you go wash up and I'll bring you some food, yeah?" She got up and made for the door before the witch could agree or disagree. She went down to the kitchens to get some food, deciding on a platter of roasted fish, some fresh vegetables and fruits and a piece of pie. She had a servant bring some wine up to the room that Zelena had claimed for herself. It was a mostly simple room and quite large for Zelena technically being a new recruit. The witch had decorated it in some of her things from Oz, consisting of green and gold tapestries and matching sheets for her bed, a silver vanity and mirror and a large oak wardrobe. She pulled a table to the middle of the room and placed the food on it. The servant put down the wine and departed with a salute. It was then that Ruby noticed the feel of magic in the room. Heavy, concentrated magic. She had only just pulled the green necklace from under the pillow when Zelena stepped out of the wash room wrapped in a fluffy robe and wet hair up in a ponytail.

"What are you doing?" The witch demanded, stiffening when she saw her beloved treasure in another's hands.

"What is this?" Ruby asked, curiously.

"A price I had to pay." Zelena walked forward and took the necklace from her, but she almost glared at it like she hated it.

Ruby touched her arm. "Price for what? Talk to me." She sat down on the bed and pulled the witch down to do the same.

"It...I got it from Glinda. She was a member of the council of witches in Oz. She promised that this would surge my power to new heights, but without it I would be completely defenseless."

"You hate it because it's a tether."

"Yes and she didn't directly state this when she gave it to me." Zelena hissed. "She said I was a part of some great prophecy that turned out to be nothing but bullshit. I've been trying to separate myself from it ever since."

Ruby held out her hand and Zelena hesitated before placing the necklace in her hand. It was a beautiful necklace. Crafted from silver and large emeralds and jades. It was magnificent, but...it kept her friend from being happy. She didn't know this Glinda, but she knew that a young, jealous and abused Zelena would've been far too easy to manipulate. She conjured Excalibur and tossed the necklace to the ground. A single stab was all it took to shatter the largest gem of the necklace. The entire things crumbled into little green sparkles. Ruby scooped them up and sprinkled them over Zelena. "Excalibur severs ties. Now, you are free." She moved over to the table of food and pulled it over. "I got you some-" She froze when Zelena suddenly hugged her. She returned the embrace wholeheartedly, placing a kiss to the witch's forehead.

"I'm been trying to come up with a way to get rid of that thing for almost 2 years."

"Well, now it's one less thing you have to worry about. Eat and tell me about this Grim translations of yours."

"Translations of the Grimmerie." Zelena smiled. The pair moved out onto the balcony to eat and Ruby listened with interest as Zelena told her about the Grimmerie, a famous book of magic from her adopted world. It possessed a lot of ancient spells and enchantments, even using full elvish writings whereas most magic users now used half-elvish. She was fluent in both of these languages and had spent the last few months trying to translate it. "Some of the things in there can be useful as well, but it'll take a little time."

"Zelena," Ruby laughed. "You have already done so much for us. Your passion is just astounding and as much as I love it, you know you can take some time off, right?"

"I know, but I like helping." The witch shrugged. "It's the first time I've ever felt like I'm enjoying life. I like teaching magic, I like making things, I like hunting and having fun with our pack. It's a far cry from what it used to be. Thank you again."

Ruby moved closer and put her hand on Zelena's knee. "Stop thanking me. I should be thanking you. Together, we will see our dreams fulfilled and every werewolf born will be born into a world of our design, a world of peace and harmony. And it will be because of you."

Zelena scoffed. "It's because of you. You brought all of us together, against all odds. You made us believe in something, gave us purpose, gave us something worth fighting for. The Dread Wolf may be a bringer of destruction to the rest of the world, but here...you're a legend, a god, unstoppable, invincible, fearless. You are what every werewolf born will want to be. If I had half of your charisma and your love for your people, maybe I wouldn't have become the Wicked Witch, or been hated my entire life."

"Honestly, I would change nothing about you or your life. Because then you might not be here with me. With us." Ruby smiled. She moved her hand and looked out over the kingdom below. They weren't moving fast enough for her. Why did all the magic users have to be rulers and have armies to protect them? "But anyways, you should get some sleep. I don't want you up until tomorrow. Want me to send Fee in?"

"Yes, please."

Ruby gathered up the tray and left the room, finding the fox in her room napping. When she told her that Zelena was looking for a cuddle buddy, she happily hopped up to go find the witch. The Dread Wolf was on her way back to her room when she was approached by a scout, carrying a message. She sighed and went to answer the summons.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Will you tell me why a fox would join wolves now?" Zelena asked, lazily making random designs on Fee's back. She was incredibly sleepy after a midnight class the night before and a big meal with Ruby not long ago, but she was still curious.

"Because Ruby saved my life." Fee answered softly. The fox rolled onto her side, facing the witch.

"What happened?"

"I was...given to a little girl as her pet when I was just a cub."

"Did they know you were a shapeshifter and not an actual fox?" Zelena asked, her face already frowning in concern.

"Of course they knew. I was specifically asked for, and I was stupid enough to be caught." Fee sighed softly. "Anyways, we grew up together. After a time, I thought my life was fine. I was treated well, I never went hungry, always warm in the winter. I didn't remember any other life anyway. When we got older, about 18, the girl started to get...curious. I don't believe that she really loved me, but she really _wanted_ me. I didn't want her in that way even though we were friends and I do prefer the fairer sex. I rejected her and we fought. I even bit her and left a permanent mark on her arm and her face. She was so angry that she told her father that I had attacked her and tried to force myself on her. He hit me so hard he broke my jaw. He got his men to drag me into the woods and beat me. That's when Ruby and her pack found me and they killed the men and took me back to their camp and asked why I was being attacked. I told them. The first thing she did was rip off my collar. She gave me some kind of healing elixir that made it easier for me to sleep and fixed my wounds. The next day, she took me back to the man's estate. They killed his guards when we walked in and dragged the family out into the woods. Ruby asked them to apologize. The master was a hard man. Born into wealth and authority, he would not bend to a dog, as he called us. Ruby broke his jaw. She told the girl to tell the truth about her scars. The girl cried, but she told the truth. The master wouldn't believe it. He called us all monsters and beasts and this and that until he was red in the face and out of breath. I suppose I get it though. You know, your child said that someone hurt them so you want to hurt that person, but I never misbehaved, always did what I was told. I didn't think anyone would believe her-"

"She lied." Zelena said. "That wasn't your fault. At the very least, the bastard should've asked you what happened. You should've never been anyone's pet and you did the right thing by kicking that girl's ass."

Fee shrugged. "Ruby told the master that I was not a pet nor a slave and that no man should be someone else's master. She told her wolves to beat him, just as they did me. They went into his house and took what they wanted. She gave me a giant coffer of their gold and said that it was what I had earned. She released the family and we haven't heard from them since. I stayed with Ruby and her pack and after hearing her purpose, what she wanted to do for werewolves, even other shapeshifters, and after she saved my life, I pledged my life to her cause. I've seen her do it time and time again."

"What?"

"Be her own version of a hero. Many of the wolves you see around here didn't just come out of the woods. A lot of them were saved, helped, some used to be human who were still treated like they weren't: peasants, orphans, people nobody wanted. Ruby gave them the gift of beast blood. She taught us how to fight, how to be a unit, how to survive."

"Wow. I didn't know."

"Yes, but hopefully we complete this mission of ours soon or else Ruby may have to deal with an internal battle. Upstart leaders, generals who want to be higher than they are."

"And an heir, right?"

"Yes, but technically as long Ruby doesn't have children, we already have leaders."

"Who? Raksha?"

"No, you and Regina."

"What?" Zelena immediately sat up. "What do you mean?"

Fee looked confused. "Ruby has never changed another into a werewolf. Technically, she is the only member left of her bloodline. When she changed you and Regina, she made you a part of that bloodline. If something happens to her, then you and/or your sister would inherit her position. Of course that would change if she had a child or chose a mate. Then they would take her position."

"I...What- why would she do that?"

"Maybe she saw something special in you. I do." Fee smiled brightly and pulled her back down. "But that's just my story. You should hear some of the others."

Zelena swallowed harshly. She considered Ruby a dear friend at this point, she was family, she was Zelena's favorite person, but never in her life would she think that Ruby would give her such an honor. She and her sister got along but nowhere near as easily as she did with Ruby or even Fee. Maybe that's why Raksha was a constant bitch nowadays.

"The Dread Wolf commanded us to sleep. We should sleep." Fee said, interrupting her swirling thoughts. It took a minute for her to relax, but against her will she fell asleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ruby brought her horse to a stop next to the river and sighed as Snow came to her side. "You called?" Snow punched her hard in the face, possibly breaking her own hand. Ruby growled as she rubbed her face.

"Did you bring archers this time?" The princess asked.

"No, I figured it was unnecessary."

"How can you do this? How can you condone this? All the barbarism! All this needless death!" Snow roared. "Your little friend is a plague on this land. Maleficent has reduced entire kingdoms to cinder! Why? Why would you do all of this?!"

"You want me to tell a fucking dragon what she can and can't do?!" Ruby snapped back.

"You can stop all of this! It began with you! I know you, I know my friend is still in there."

"The extinction of your pathetic race is not my concern!" Ruby growled. "And you know me? You knew me for a week, if even that. As for friends, I don't need you for a friend. I need for you to leave me alone. You want to stop Maleficent, then stop her yourself!"

"I will bring you down, Dread Wolf. For all the lives lost because of you." Snow promised.

"I'm so scared." Ruby scoffed, giving her horse a swift kick. She rode a good ways away before she was approached by a frantic scout, holding one of Zelena's messenger necklaces. Ruby put it on and pressed the button. "Yes?"

"Ruby!" Raksha yelled. "We're under attack. ⅔ of our army is down. The ice witches here are too strong. We need backup."

"Witches? Our reports said there was only one." Ruby hissed.

"We defeated her, but there was another. Older, stronger. She fucking decimated us."

"Get out of there. Fall back. That's an order." She grabbed the scout. "Get back to the base. Tell them to send reinforcements to Raksha immediately. Get Zelena to go with them. Tell her to send a message to Regina and have her teleport to the battle. Tell them all to move their asses. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, Dread Wolf." The scout switched to his wolf form and took off like his life depended on it.

She turned her horse and headed straight to Raksha's side. Ordinarily it would be a 3 day run and a boat ride to Arendelle, but that was for a simple pace. Ruby pushed her horse as fast as it could go and when it tired, she leaped down and shifted into wolf form and ran the rest of the way. She barely stopped. Luckily, Zelena was able to use magic to find her and teleported her the rest of the way. When she arrived at the battlefield, it was littered with wolf bodies, either dead or frozen in place. Raksha had pulled her men back to a safe position, but they were tired, defeated and still out in the cold.

"Is everyone alright?" Ruby asked, walking into the makeshift camp.

"No, we're not!" Raksha barked angrily, shoving her way past the others. "We lost over 700 people and-" She gasped when Ruby grabbed her by the throat.

"Watch your tone and remember who you're speaking to." She growled. She released the older wolf and looked around, noticing that they had managed to capture Queen Elsa, but that only meant that this new witch would be coming for her. She went over to Queen Elsa and knelt in front of her, removing the bond from her mouth. "You're the queen?"

"Yes, who you are? What are you doing here?"

"Who is your ally? The witch."

"My aunt. She just got here, unexpectedly."

So their intel was right. Ruby tilted her head. "Will you unfreeze my friends for a truce?" She asked.

"Yes, if you will just leave Arendelle in peace."

"I can't just leave, your majesty. That would mean this entire attack was for nought. Those who died would have died for nothing."

"What if I give you someone else?"

"Continue."

"A man named Hans. One of the princes of the Southern Isles. A complete and utter psychopathic asshole." His life force would never be as strong as Elsa's, but she continued on about this Prince Hans and his deceitful ways. "I would never wish harm to anyone, but this man hurt my sister and he threatened to take over my entire kingdom. Take him prisoner if you really want." He was just a human, it would be easy. And she could just tell Mal about the Southern Isles and have the dragon make sure she wouldn't have to worry about retaliation. They were ill prepared for this mission and she needed to end it before more of her followers got hurt. She grabbed Elsa and hoisted her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Raksha demanded.

"Getting everyone out of here. Pack up, move out." She commanded.

"So we're leaving with nothing?"

"Of course not."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Regina arrived on the scene, it was carnage. Werewolves were ripping off ice stuck to their skin, shivering violently and helping people get away. Zelena was already there, carrying a small satchel. "Where's Ruby?"

Raksha looked up from where she was supporting a wounded warrior. "She went to make a trade with the witch and the queen betrayed us. She's holding them off while we run."

Regina sent the reinforcements to help the wounded and took off after her sister. The snow was deep and the air was so cold she felt like she would freeze if she stayed still. Wolves endured the cold better than humans, but this was ridiculous. They came upon a plain of ice, the bodies of Arendelle soldiers and werewolves laying everywhere. In the center was Ruby...impaled on an ice spike. "Ruby!" She took off for the she-wolf, with Zelena keeping pace with her. They heard a crack as Ruby tore herself free and fell to the snow, coating it in crimson blood. She roared at them to stop and they obeyed, for standing across the ice was the witch who had caused all of this. Zelena slowly pulled something out of her satchel. A glowing green cube inside a glass box. One of her bombs, although on a much smaller scale.

"Will that be enough?" Regina asked.

"I didn't get to charge it much. Let's hope so."

Ruby crossed the ice covered plain as though she weren't even injured, dodging the sharp icicles that sprouted out of the ground. She was caught twice, but she tore herself free each time. The trail of blood became wider. Regina and Zelena exchanged nods and teleported across the plain after their leader, just as she slammed into the ice wall the ice witch had built to protect herself.

"Ruby, fall back!" Regina yelled, appearing at the Dread Wolf's side. They barely made it out of range before Zelena threw her bomb. It slammed against the wall and shattered before exploding, causing a blast that must've shaken half of Arendelle. The earth started to rumble and Regina raised her head just in time to see a wave of snow and ice rolling down the mountain. "Oh shit."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	6. Chapter 6

Needless to say, the mission ended in disaster. Zelena's healers set to work as soon as the wounded war party trudged back into the castle. Ruby walked at the head of the party, noticeably limping with blood still staining her clothes despite most of her wounds having been bandaged. Regina walked behind her, leading the bound snow queen. Ruby sent out commands to have the wounded tended to, denying any assistance for herself. She called for her generals and other trusted officials and kept walking into the throne room where she sat down. Only when the doors had been closed did she drop her powerful pretense. Regina dropped their prisoner and went to her side, healing Ruby of her many injuries.

"What happened?" One of the other generals asked.

"It was a fucking disaster. What do you think fucking happened?" Raksha growled.

"And her." Another pointed at the witch on the ground. "Are we draining her? Who is this?" He kicked the witch onto her side. "Who are you?"

"Ingrid."

"That's it?!"

"I was once the princess of Arendelle, you beasts!"

"Once? Where'd you go then?" The werewolf attempted to grab Ingrid and she lashed out with a headbutt that shocked the man so badly he immediately shifted forms and bared his teeth. Regina silently watched the reaction, as did Ruby.

"You're one of them too?"

"Hold, Brother." Ruby commanded. She stood up and quickly made her way down to Ingrid. "One of them? There are others like us in Arendelle?"

"They were there when I was a child, but I have heard no mention since. They came down from the mountains in the dead of winter, stealing our livestock, killing our horses, raiding our food stores. They even killed soldiers. They look like him except white...and smaller."

"Werewolves or regular wolves?" Ruby demanded.

"Were, I suppose?"

"I don't need you to suppose. I need you to be certain." Ruby snapped. "Have you seen one change form?"

"Yes." Ingrid said softly.

Ruby stepped back. "Take her to the prisons, continue to interrogate her. If her information is true, she'll be released."

"We should drain her anyway after she betrayed us when we let the queen go." Raksha hissed.

"We might still do that. Take her away." A guard was quickly brought in and lead her away.

"More werewolves." A female general said. "More wolves to bolster our numbers."

"More werewolves who don't have to live up in the fucking mountains." Another corrected. "They could replace the ones lost."

"No one could replace the wolves lost." Fee said, gaining everyone's attention as she boldly glared down the general who had spoken. "Our people are not pawns."

"You're right." The general dipped his head. "Forgive me."

"All of you are dismissed." Ruby suddenly announced. "All those who fought or lost loved ones will be given extra rations. All other missions are cancelled. Prepare a burial, please." She quickly left the room and Regina followed, leaving the others behind. Ruby stormed into her room and furiously paced back and forth. "All those dead, lost because of me."

"You can't blame yourself for that." Regina said.

"Yes, I can, I sent them there. To die!" Ruby growled, spinning around to face her. "It's my fault! All the mothers out there will look to me. Why did their children have to die? I have to look at their brothers and sisters and look their children in the eye and tell them their family member will never come home. Those wolves out there are more than soldiers in an army, they're my pack, my family. They follow me, they expect me to protect them not get them killed."

"And they knew that, Ruby." Regina came to take her hands and kissed them. "Every single of them knows the risks. They follow you because they believe in you and your goal."

"We lost though."

"You've lost before."

"But there was never this many fallen." Ruby sighed, going to sit on her bed. "I'm going to be trying to fix this for the next year."

Regina came and knelt in front of her. "Miss Lucas, look at me." She commanded. Ruby growled softly, finally meeting her eyes. "What are wars made of?"

"Battles."

"Exactly. Some battles are won, some are lost. What matters is you don't stop because of one loss. You're a leader. You can't stop. Not until we're done. Not until we have helped every werewolf, every shapeshifter live in a world without fear and persecution. Not yet. Change up things."

"How?"

"You got confident. You attacked in broad daylight. You always have superior numbers but sometimes you can win a battle just as easily without so many wolves. Use your old tactic. Attack at night, through the shadows, like when you took my castle. That would've been better, not to criticize or anything."

"You're right, I should've-"

"You can't think of everything. That's why you have generals. All of this is not on your shoulders. Let us bear the weight sometimes."

Ruby whimpered softly and Regina leaned forward, capturing her lips in a harsh kiss. Regina grabbed Ruby's arms in surprise when the Dread Wolf picked her up and slammed her on the bed. She didn't mind being Ruby's stress relief. She wanted the she-wolf to know that she was here for her. After a year of flirting, stolen kisses and not so subtle hints she thought it was about fucking time that Ruby took her. She knew Ruby wouldn't claim her as her mate. Not yet. But that could be discussed later.

After a few minutes Ruby stopped and placed a kiss to her forehead. "I have to go get ready for the funeral."

"We'll continue this another time?" Regina asked.

Ruby smirked. "Of course. Thank you, by the way."

"Anytime."

That evening was the funeral. It was the first one Regina was allowed to witness. There were over several hundred dead and each one was given a burial plot in the forest. The others in the pack shared the task of digging them and the fallen was laid to rest. Family members were buried together. Trees and flowers were planted around the small piles of stones they used to mark the graves, giving back to the forest that gave them so much. Ruby walked through, calling the names of every one of her brothers and sisters that had been lost. It lead to a howl from every wolf so loud and deafening that Regina had to restrain herself from covering her ears. The werewolf afterlife depicted a paradise for both man and wolf, where they would live and Run forever beneath the moon's pale light and it was on that night that the moon was full and Ruby lead nearly the entirety of her followers on a midnight Run to reaffirm pack bond and to honor the fallen.

Regina didn't participate. Instead, she made her way back to her room. As she reached her door she felt a hand wrap around her waist and soft lips against her temple. "Not now, Phaedra." She said softly.

The older she-wolf tilted her head, looking down at Regina in confusion. "What's wrong, Evil Queen?"

"I just…" She shook her head. Phaedra opened her door for her and gave her a gentle nudge inside. She was one of the friends Regina had made since coming here. A beautiful woman with extremely long golden hair and pretty green eyes, she was a cousin of Raksha, another of Ruby's generals and a well respected hunter and archer. She sat down on the bed and patted the place next to her.

"What's wrong?"

"I can never be Ruby's mate, can I?"

"Why can't you?" Phaedra frowned.

"Because for one, I'm not a full blooded wolf. On top of that, I'm still basically new compared to everyone else. And even if none of that matters-"

"None of it does matter." Phaedra said. "If Ruby's heart wants you, then she will take you as her mate, regardless of the politics of a wolf pack."

"I can't even have children." Regina whispered.

"Who told you that?"

"No one had to tell me. I did it to myself."

"Then you can fix yourself." Phaedra replied. "My parents told me that True Love is the ultimate power. If you really love someone enough, anything is possible. Werewolves don't have True Loves. We have Mates and that is something entirely different and far more powerful. You don't get to choose your True Love, but you get to choose who you share your soul and life with when it comes to Mates. If you truly loved each other, then having kids wouldn't even matter. There are plenty of motherless pups in the world."

"Well, what about Zelena?" Regina asked. "She has a high rank due to all her inventions and shit. She can have children and they already seem to share some stupid bond."

Phaedra smirked. "Someone's cute when she's jealous."

"I'm not jealous. I just don't want my sister stealing Ruby away from me." She and Zelena were steadily building a relationship with each other, but after a lifetime apart, neither would be treating the other like a sister or a best friend just yet.

"If Ruby is yours, she will not be stolen." Phaedra said matter of factly.

Regina sighed and fell back onto the bed. Her friend laid down next to her. "I hope we find all the power we need fast because I'm getting tired of this tiny castle. I want to see more of the world." One of her favorite things about being a werewolf was the freedom, the Running, seeing the world in a different light. It was incredible. Not only that, but when Ruby sent her to various places for this and that, it opened up a world she had never known. Locked away on her parents' estate, then caged in that putrid castle, she had never gone farther than she was allowed. But not now.

"You have the ability to leave any moment you choose." Phaedra reminded her. "You could take a trip to a place you've never been."

"I can't leave Ruby."

"It would not be forever. Besides, you could find more things to add to our future world. I...could go with you. For protection of course, and direction."

"You mean that? You're a general, doesn't Ruby need you here?"

"My men mostly focus on defense here at the castle. We haven't been called to battle since you arrived." Phaedra replied. "And I have a second just in case. Say yes. It will be a great adventure."

"I'd have to talk to Ruby about it first, but you make a good case." With her mind a little more at ease, she was able to spend some time with her friend before Ruby returned late that night, providing the perfect opportunity to talk to her. "Ruby, can we speak for a second?"

Ruby nodded. "I'm going to go take a quick shower first and meet Zelena and Mal at her castle. We can walk together." Regina dipped her head and impatiently waited for her leader to return. When she returned, they changed into wolf form and started off for the castle at an easy pace. "Glad you caught me." Ruby said. "I was going to come find you."

"Oh yeah?" Regina asked, skipping alongside her, wagging her tail a little any time their pelts brushed.

"Yes, I'm going to show you our new world. You'll love it."

"Are you done with the designs and everything?"

"Mostly, but there's always room for more. Why?"

"Um, I was thinking of taking a little trip to see more of the world, find some other things to add."

"You mean leave." Ruby immediately stopped walking. "For how long?"

"Few months, maybe?" Regina shrugged her furry shoulders. "You said I could leave any time I wanted to, right?"

"Of course, but that would be months I wouldn't get to see you." Ruby whined softly, nuzzling her neck. Regina purred at the affectionate gesture. "We still have to finish our _discussion_ from earlier too."

"I know, but I want to see this world before we leave. I promise I won't be gone too long. And you have Zelena and Raksha-"

"They're not you, Regina." Ruby growled.

"I know." She swallowed. "But I can check in every night. Show you everything I find. It'll be like I'm not even gone."

Ruby slowly nodded. "I'll send some wolves with you. And I'll wait for you to get back." She decided.

"Phaedra promised to come with me to protect me."

"Phaedra?" Ruby growled softly.

"Don't be jealous. She's just a friend."

"Sure." Ruby started walking again, falling silent, and Regina followed, hoping that she hadn't ruined everything. The guards at Maleficent's castle let them pass without a word, although they were required to return to human form before entering. Ruby lead her to a pair of grand doors and stopped her before entering. "I'm not going to hold you back, Regina. I promise I won't."

Regina frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I promised you the world and confined you to the castle and sent you to kingdoms you've already visited and probably hate. I should've been more considerate and I shouldn't have rushed you to be by my side. You should move at your own pace and explore this world at length. Yes, I will miss you, but, you deserve your freedom. I have no right to command you to give that to me."

Regina was a bit surprised at her soft spoken words. After all, Ruby seemed to have two modes and the Dread Wolf was the most dominant, powerful, commanding, reassuring. But she needed to be that way. Her pack needed to believe that she was a great and powerful wolf and that her speeches about building a better world would come true. Only in the privacy of her room did she allow that facade to fall away and show just Ruby. So few people truly knew the great leader, even though she did her best to try and make herself appear less larger than life. Regina was almost honored that Ruby so willingly showed this side of herself.

"As I said, a few months at the most and then I will be right back here with you. I promise." Regina pulled her close, connecting their lips in a soft kiss. She ached for more, but now was not the time. Ruby kissed her forehead before taking her hand and leading her into the room. It was full of open trunks and chest filled with gold and gems and a single giant circular table in the center. Zelena was already standing in front of it, looking down at it while the owner of their castle sipped a glass of wine and examined her recently acquired trophies.

"Looks like you had a good year." Ruby said, attracting the blonde's attention.

Maleficent and put down her goblet to grasp Ruby's forearm in greeting. "By the time I am done, I will no longer be the Dragon Queen. They will be calling me a goddess of war." She laughed.

"You're going out again?"

"Not for a long while. I have so much new treasure to count before I add it to my hoard and payments to send to my soldiers, gold to hand out to my servants and my citizens." Mal replied. "The people of the Enchanted Forest can rest easy. My rampage is done for now."

"Rampage. Perfect word." Regina said.

Mal arched an eyebrow in her direction. "Ah, Regina. How are you, Old Friend?"

"Fine." She shrugged.

Mal smirked at her, her eyes twinkling with mischief. As if she knew something Regina didn't. Regina fought off the scowl that wanted to show and bit her tongue before she said something to anger the dragon bitch. Eventually, the blonde turned to Ruby. "Heard you lost at Arendelle."

Ruby nodded. "I did."

"Good."

"Good? Are you serious? I lost a lot of people."

"Then you won't make the same mistake twice." Mal replied, meeting Ruby's eyes firmly. "It won't matter if you have a million wolves at your beck and call, you are never too good to lose. You are never too smart to lose, and you are never too big to lose. It happens, my dear. And it happens when it needs it happen. Learn from it, but don't dwell on it. You may have suffered a loss but your next victory is waiting for you to take it." Ruby nodded again as Mal turned to the stone table. Regina gave Ruby's hand a comforting squeeze, a bit surprised yet again. At best she thought Mal's involvement with Ruby was just for her entertainment or a chance for a little more gold, but it seemed a bit deeper than that. Mal acted almost like a mentor, just as she had once with Regina. It didn't seem to end there. The dragon instructed Zelena on how to operate the table and it took a few words in elvish before it began to glow. A globe of magical energy appeared above the table. With a motion of her hand, Zelena was able to zoom into the world and show them the vast and beautiful landscapes, ranging from thick forests to lush jungles, to snow covered mountains and wide deserts. Prey of every type imaginable, even exotic beasts were seen roaming the wilds. A few small towns and cities had been built, bearing architectural styles from the Enchanted Forest, Agrabah, Maleficent's castle and various other places they had visited. It was beautiful, beyond words.

"This is it, Regina. Our world." Ruby smiled.

"It's amazing." Zelena whispered in awe.

"And you've just barely scratched the surface. I fill in the gaps when I can, but you should be ready in the next couple of years, assuming you have the necessary power to bring this world to life."

"I will." Ruby assured her. "I won't rush anymore. I learned my lesson. But we'll be ready."

"Good."

Regina watched them add even more designs to the world, focusing mostly on flora and fauna for the moment. They were building a world from the ground up, so it would take some time. Two years wasn't long though. They didn't have any time to waste to find magical energy. "Ruby."

"Hmm?"

"Rumple's power isn't enough, right?"

"Right. Why?" The werewolf turned to face her, listening intently to the idea she was debating.

"We searched his castle for the dagger but did we find anything else? A vault, maybe. Rumple was terrified of something or someone else being more powerful than he. He collected magical artifacts, books, tomes, scrolls, weapons. All of that would harness even more magical energy. If we find his vault-"

"We find his stash." Ruby grinned. "I'll send a patrol over as soon as possible. You're a genius."

"I would like to lead it if that's alright with you. I know how to find vaults. He helped me build my own."

Ruby nodded. "As you wish." She kissed Regina's forehead with a smile. "Trying to keep us busy while you're gone?"

"Gone?" Zelena asked.

"Regina's going adventuring for a little bit. She's coming back with even more stuff to add to our world." Zelena didn't really respond, too busy paying rapt attention to Mal's instructions. With another word of magic, the table faded out. "Excellent. We have a lot to do, ladies."

/

The sisters departed but Ruby stayed behind to give Mal a map that she pulled out of her coat. "You found something?" Mal asked, betraying an excitement Ruby had never seen in her before.

"Yes, one to the east is a sea serpent, male and silver. It sunk an entire fleet of merchant ships this year. The other is far to the west, a golden dragon. Female. I have patrols watching them, just in case. They seem to be in good health and strong and capable of being a good mate for you."

"We'll have to see about that." Mal said, clutching the map tightly in her fist. "If what you say is true and I go to the east and to the west...it will be the first time I have seen another dragon in almost a century. I thought I was the last."

"Nope," Ruby grinned. "I'll keep searching for any more sightings for you. I have spies everywhere just for this purpose. Everyone deserves a little happiness, Mal. After everything you've done for me, helping you find a mate is the least I can do." She held out her hand and Mal didn't hesitate to shake it.

"Thank you, Dread Wolf."

"You're more than welcome, Goddess of War."

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